The Bartlett Police Department (BPD) handled the following incidents for the period of May 23-29, 2016. This listing includes the most notable incidents for the reporting period and does not necessarily reflect all police activity.
Editor’s note: All suspects are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and values are estimated for stolen/damaged items. These are brief summaries of detailed BPD reports.
May 23
Sylva Rena (vandalism)
A resident on Sylva Rena Drive reported May 23 that someone had shattered the rear window of his SUV. He said the blue 2004 Lexus RX330 had been parked in his driveway.
May 24
Allbright Cove (vandalism)
A paper delivery person notified a resident on Allbright Cove on May 24 that her camper was damaged, and she reported the incident to the police.
The camper was attached to the bed of her pickup truck, and the damage was to the rear door facing the road. She said no possessions had been taken from the camper.
Coral Hill (auto burglary)
A Bartlett man got a $1,062 lesson in vehicle security on May 24. He reported that someone removed his issued duty belt from his unlocked vehicle.
Items taken included a .40 caliber Glock 22 handgun ($700), Streamlight ($145), two pairs of Peerless handcuffs ($100), two Glock magazines ($60), one canister OC spray ($12), handcuff key ($5) and black duty belt ($40).
The responding officer saw no damage to the vehicle or evidence for collection.
Plum Hill (auto burglary)
A resident on Plum Hill reported May 24 that someone had entered his vehicle and rummaged through it overnight. The victim inventoried the vehicle and didn’t find that anything was missing.
May 25
Prairie View (burglary)
Someone broke into a couple’s Prairie View home while they were out of the house from about 10 a.m. until around 1:20 p.m. on May 25. The man said he saw the door in the carport was wide open and the wood frame was shattered when they returned.
The responding officers cleared the house for suspects and noticed that there appeared to be a TV missing from the entertainment stand.
U.S. 70 (theft from motor vehicle)
A customer at Community Pet Hospital (6552 U.S. 70) reported a vehicular smash-and-grab at Community Pet Hospital on May 25.
She said she entered the pet hospital at 4:44 p.m., and when she returned, her front passenger window had been smashed ($150). Items stolen included her purse ($50) and $10 in cash.
A security video showed a white four-door sedan, possibly a Chevrolet Cruz, drive up next to the vhictim’s vehicle and then pull off. The responding officer was not able to see the suspect or the suspect’s vehicle tag number.
May 26
U.S. 70 (traffic violation and other violations)
Failure to stop at a red traffic light led to a teen driver getting into multiple forms of hot water. An officer saw him traveling eastbound on U.S. 70, approaching U.S. 64, at 1:18 a.m. May 26. When he blew through the red light and continued east on U.S. 64, the officer pulled him over.
The suspect was only 15 and didn’t have a driver’s license. He also didn’t have his uncle’s permission to take the vehicle, and the uncle said it wasn’t the first time his nephew has swiped the car in the middle of the night.
The teen was charged with curfew violation and joy riding, given a juvenile summons, and released to his guardian (his uncle) at the scene.
Shady Oaks (residential burglary)
A man came to the Bartlett Justice Center on May 26 to report that someone stole his handgun. The victim said his Taurus .45-caliber black handgun ($500) was taken from his bedside drawer while he was out of town, sometime between May 5 and May 9.
The man lives with his daughter on Shady Oaks but does not suspect her. He said he hasn’t seen any signs of forced entry to the home.
May 28
U.S. 64 (theft from motor vehicle)
Someone broke into a man’s vehicle while it was parked on the second row at Walmart (8400 U.S. 64) the night of May 28. The perpetrator popped out the passenger-side keyhole to gain entry.
Items stolen included a black Jeep bag ($20) containing the victim’s brown Fossil wallet ($50). The officer spoke with Walmart management regarding surveillance footage of the incident and was told it could possibly be available at a later date.
May 29
Broadway Street (speeding and other violations)
A driver headed north on Broadway Street near Centralia Road found that a speeding ticket was the least of his troubles May 29.
An officer clocked the man’s blue Chevrolet Impala at 49 mph in a posted 35 mph zone. When he pulled the driver over, the officer smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. A search turned up a weapon but no drugs. The handgun was a .45-caliber black Springfield XP, loaded with a seven-round magazine and one round in the chamber. A check with the dispatcher uncovered that the gun had been stolen in Memphis.
