The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office handled the following incidents in Arlington during the first half of December. For the remainder of December’s incidents, see next week’s issue.
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 SCSO reports.
Dec. 2
Gulfstream Road (aggravated assault)
One man ended up at the hospital when an online argument escalated into a real-life fight after work. An officer came to the scene at Gerdau Ameristeel (11445 Gulfstream Road) at 11:50 p.m. Dec. 1. The victim, who had a cut above one eye and multiple abrasions, said a co-worker assaulted him.
He said the suspect met him outside their workplace’s gate around 11 p.m. and continued their Facebook argument from earlier that day. The suspect threw the first hit, he said, and they had each other in headlocks, exchanging punches while on the ground, when coworkers separated them. The suspect’s brother put the suspect in a truck and drove off.
Multiple witnesses said the suspect struck the victim in the head with a three-inch piece of pipe hidden in his hand. Officers couldn’t find the pipe at the scene and weren’t able to reach the suspect by phone. A medical unit took the victim to Methodist North to evaluate his injuries.
Airline Road (intimidation)
A male student at Arlington High School (5475 Airline Road) reported efforts to pull him into a gang Dec. 2 unless he could pay a steep fee. An assistant principal related the victim’s story: The victim said another student showed pictures of weapons on his cell phone and told him he was now a part of the Young Mob gang, and he couldn’t get out of it unless he paid $500 or $850.
The student’s mother filed a report with Memphis Police Department when her son received a text that stated his home address and also said, “Why you ignoring us?”
The suspect told the assistant principal he isn’t in a gang, but he admitted talking to the victim. The assistant principal contacted the suspect’s mother, who said she will talk with her son and take care of the problem because he is not in the gang.
Airline Road (theft from building)
A father reported on Dec. 2 that someone took his daughter’s iPhone 7 between 10:40 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. that day at Arlington High School. Officers interviewed one person who said he found the phone’s cover in the boy’s bathroom by the study hall.
Dec. 3
Charlotte Oak Cove (residential burglary)
Someone stole multiple items from a home on the 5200 block of Charlotte Oak Cove, the victim reported on Dec. 3.
She left home around 2:30 p.m. Dec. 2 to go to a party, and when she returned that night she found the garage door raised and the interior door between the garage and the home to be open. The front door was also unlatched and ajar but not standing open. At first, she didn’t think anything of it because her son frequently stops by, and the garage door doesn’t lock.
The next day, she realized that $14,600 worth of items had been stolen, including two rings, two Citizen watches, an Apple MacBook, a Samsung Nook and cash. She didn’t have any serial numbers immediately available for the stolen items. She didn’t have any suspect information but said numerous contractors had been in the home for renovations, although not recently.
Dec. 4
Arlin Drive (intimidation)
A woman on the 5400 block of Arlin Drive reported threatening actions by her neighbor on Dec. 4. She and her 11-year-old son were outside hanging Christmas lights when the man walked outside and stood under his carport. He was holding his dog by the collar while yelling vulgar remarks at her. She said he told his dog to “Sic ’em!” while maintaining his hold on the dog’s collar.
The dog was barking and she feared for her safety, so she grabbed a can of wasp spray to defend herself if the dog were to attack. She said the neighbor has a history of similar actions, and she has contacted the SCSO in the past about him and his intimidating actions.
Dec. 6
Arlington Trail/Longleaf Oak Trail (felony drugs/narcotics violation)
Responding to a called-in complaint about a man possibly driving under the influence of alcohol and cocaine, an officer pulled over a black Chevrolet Impala that met the description at 4:10 a.m. Dec. 6. The officer spotted two clear bags containing a white powdery substance in the car’s cup holder. The driver had bloodshot glassy eyes with pupils that remained very dilated even when the officer shone a light in them.
The officer put the man in the back of the patrol car and took his car keys. The driver had no valid proof of insurance or valid driver’s license. His license had been suspended in September 2016 for failure to pay fines or costs. He failed multiple points of the field sobriety test, and the officer saw he was unsteady on his feet while walking and had a noticeable sway while standing still.
Before taking the man to Shelby County Jail, the officer asked him if he had any other contraband, because it’s a felony to take such items into a jail. The suspect said he might have two more baggies in the watch pocket of his blue jeans. The officer found two clear baggies of a white substance in the pocket.
The powdery substance later tested positive for cocaine and had a total gram weight of 1.4 grams. The officer obtained a search warrant for a blood draw, which was performed at 6:22 a.m. B&B Towing moved the suspect’s car to 4272 U.S. 51 N.
Summer Meadows Lane (intimidation)
A woman reported that a former babysitting client threatened her husband on Dec. 6. She said the couple stopped using her as a babysitter because of a disagreement over the child being sick.
Her husband told his version of the confrontation: He and his wife backed into the former clients’ driveway on the 11200 block of Black Sheep Drive at 8:05 a.m. to return the child’s belongings. The child’s father pulled in front of the driveway and began to verbally abuse the former babysitter. When the babysitter’s husband told him to stop, the man said, “What are you going to do about it?” When the babysitter’s husband tried to leave, the man said, “Not without my stuff you’re not.” The man also refused to move his vehicle, blocking them into the driveway.
The babysitter’s husband said the child’s items were returned to the man, who then said, “I’m going to get $165 back if I have to take it out of your ___.” Meanwhile, the man was jumping aggressively toward the babysitter’s husband. The victim said he wasn’t assaulted but he believed the suspect might try to harm him while he was there. There were no known witnesses.
Dec. 7
Campbell Street (simple assault/domestic violence)
A driveway argument turned physical for a couple on the 12000 block of Campbell Street. The wife said they were arguing around 6 p.m. on Dec. 7 when her husband pulled her hair and slapped her. The husband said she hit him in the face.
The responding officers saw no injuries to either person, and they refused medical treatment. Officers weren’t able to determine who was the primary aggressor, and the wife left the home to stay elsewhere for the night.
Dec. 8
Jon Oak Drive (other theft/non-specific)
On Dec. 8, a homeowner reported conflict with a former tenant on the 5000 block of Jon Oak Drive. The owner said his tenant moved out on Dec. 3. On Dec. 6, the owner told the man he was moving his personal property left behind in the garage to the driveway while repairs were done on the home. The former tenant didn’t object. But the next day the former tenant called, very angry, saying that some of his belongings had been stolen from the driveway.
On Dec. 8, the homeowner returned to the house at 7 a.m. and found eight garage door windows broken and one upstairs bedroom window above the garage broken, totaling about $1,800 in damages. The former tenant’s property was still in the driveway. The homeowner said his Craftsman lawnmower ($200, weed trimmer ($100) and rake ($10) were also missing from the back porch.
Airline Road (simple assault)
An Arlington High School assistant principal reported that one male student walked into a classroom on Dec. 8 and struck another male student who was seated. The victim said he didn’t fight back because he knew the suspect was going to fight him today over something the victim did to his friend. Instead, the victim covered his head and stayed seated while the suspect struck him several times in the back and face. The suspect confirmed why he was angry and struck the victim.
The suspect received a three-day school suspension and a juvenile summons for simple assault.
Arlin Drive (other theft/non-specific)
A resident on the 5400 block of Arlin Drive said someone re-routed his Social Security deposit to an account that wasn’t his. The victim reported on Dec. 8 that he’s sent around $2,000 over the past several months to the Wells Fargo account of man who claimed to need money to get him a loan. The victim said he doesn’t know the man’s name and has only spoken to him over the phone. The suspect had a foreign accent.
When the victim stopped sending payments, someone routed his $848 Social Security deposit to the same Wells Fargo account. He said the Social Security Administration requested a sheriff’s report before they could re-issue the deposit.
Dec. 9
Jetway Drive (theft of vehicle parts/accessories)
A Verizon employee (5866 Jetway Drive) reported on Dec. 9 that her license plate was missing. The vehicle, a Dodge Ram 1500 pickup, was parked in the business’s parking lot. She had no suspect information. The theft happened sometime within the past month.
Gulf Stream Road (intimidation)
Two co-workers got into an argument in the parking lot of Maines Paper & Food Services Inc. (11420 Gulf Stream Road) on Dec. 9. The female victim said her male co-worker threatened to “slap the h____” out of her, but there was no actual physical fight.
Dec. 12
Airline Road (residential burglary)
A woman having some work done on her house returned on Dec. 12 to find it that about $2,800 of belongings had been damaged or stolen.
She left the house around 3 p.m. Dec. 6 while ServePro did some mold remediation repairs, and she returned around 10:45 a.m. Dec. 12.She was home around noon on Dec. 10 to pick up a few things and noticed that the back door was open, but she thought the house was being ventilated, so she didn’t notice broken windows or missing property.
At the scene, officers found the south side window ($500) broken out and a jewelry chest broken. Items missing included two rings ($700 each), a horse figurine ($1,000) and a computer router ($400). A crime scene officer wasn’t able to lift any prints.
The house is on the 3200 block of Airline Road.
Dec. 13
U.S. 70 (other larceny/access device)
A woman reported fraudulent withdrawals totaling $700 from her bank account after she used a debit card at a Kroger gas pump (11635 U.S. 70).
She reported on Dec. 13 that she used her Regions card at the pump around 10:30 a.m. the previous morning, and she had to input her PIN to complete the transaction. Around 4 p.m. that afternoon, her account showed someone had taken $300, $200 and $200 from an ATM between 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m.
The victim, who resides on the 6300 block of William Hill Drive, has since cancelled the debit card.
Airline Road (misdemeanor drugs/narcotics violation)
An anonymous student at Arlington High School reported that a fellow student had prescription pills. An assistant principal interviewed the suspect and found a pink pill wrapped in paper in his backpack. The school nurse identified it as Cor-135 (generic Adderall). The suspect said he didn’t know how it got in his backpack.
The school suspended him for 180 school days, and he received a juvenile summons for possession of drugs without a prescription.
Dec. 14
U.S. 70 (misdemeanor shoplifting)
The store manager at Fred’s (11888 U.S. 70) identified a black man and black woman suspected of stealing about $50 of items on Dec. 14. She said the man went to the pharmacy to pick up medicine while the woman went to aisle 9 (small chemicals).
Surveillance footage showed the woman placing items from the shelves into her dark handbag. The man and woman left together within five minutes without paying for the merchandise. They drove off in an older model white four-door sedan with temporary tags.
Milton Wilson Road (theft of other trailer)
A man discovered on Dec. 14 that his Interstate utility trailer was missing from his driveway on the 5500 block of Milton Wilson. He didn’t have any suspect information and couldn’t provide a serial number for the trailer.
Dec. 15
U.S. 70 (intimidation)
An employee at AutoZone (11701 U.S. 70) named a frequent customer who entered the store on Dec. 15, got into an argument with him and threatened to shoot him. The suspect left the store in a vehicle of unknown make or model.
Doctor Logan Road (residential burglary)
A homeowner on the 11800 block of Doctor Logan Road reported a Dec. 15 break-in that cost him about $1,520 in thefts and damages.
The man’s daughter was the last to leave the home around 6:30 a.m., and she said that all doors were locked. She returned around 8 p.m. Items taken included a 50-inch Emerson flat-screen TV ($300), 32-inch Emerson flat-screen TV ($120), Xbox One gaming system ($250), two video games ($140), a Bluetooth speaker ($40) and an iPad Mini ($270). She couldn’t provide serial numbers for any of the electronic devices.
The homeowner said the point of entry was through the back door ($400), and officers found broken glass from the door inside and outside of the rear doorway. They didn’t see signs of forced entry to the rear cast iron security door. An officer couldn’t retrieve any latent prints.
Dec. 17
Chester Street (residential burglary)
A daughter reported that someone burglarized her elderly mother’s home between 2 p.m. Dec. 15 and 1 p.m. Dec. 17. The home had two broken side windows, and the 42-inch flat-screen TV was missing.
The home is on the 5600 block of Chester Street.
Dec. 18
U.S. 70 (motor vehicle theft/other)
Someone stole an all-terrain vehicle ($4,000) from the bed of a pickup on Dec. 18. The vehicle was parked on the 12200 block of U.S. 70. The victim said he last saw the ATV around 10 a.m. Dec. 18, and he noticed it was missing around 12:50 p.m.
The responding deputy didn’t place the missing ATV into the National Crime Information Center database because the owner couldn’t provide the vehicle identification number.
U.S. 70 (misdemeanor shoplifting)
The manager at Fred’s (11888 U.S. 70) reported that a black female collected $89 worth of merchandise and left without paying for them on Dec. 18. He said another black female stood outside as a lookout person.
Items stolen included two Scott eight-packs of tissue ($13), two containers of Tide laundry detergent ($40), 1 container of Gain laundry detergent ($16), a cologne set ($10), and one bundle of Bounty paper towels ($10).
Video evidence shows the incident and provides a clear picture of the shoplifter. The two females left in a gray GMC pickup; the tag number led to a Millington address on Bateman Road.
Dec. 19
Jetway Drive (other theft/non-specific)
A supervisor at Beauty Lawn Spray (5890 Jetway Drive) reported that the rear fence showed signs of tampering and items were missing on Dec. 19. The responding officer saw that the cable on the rear gate looked as if it had been stretched to allow passage between the two fence doors.
The only items missing were 10 ratchet binders. There were surveillance cameras on the building, but they weren’t operating at the time of the theft. The incident happened between 6 p.m. Dec. 17 and just before 7 a.m. Dec. 19.
Dec. 20
Mahogany Ridge Drive (other theft/non-specific)
Someone stole Christmas lights from a front yard on the 5400 block of Mahogany Ridge Drive. The victim said it happened between 11 p.m. Dec. 19 and 8:40 p.m. Dec. 20.
Collierville Arlington Road (felony vandalism)
A man said another driver damaged his vehicle while he was parked near the river on Collierville-Arlington Road near Dean Road, in an off-road location with a gravel parking lot.
The victim was in his vehicle, a Toyota 4Runner, when a white Chevrolet Silverado started doing donuts in the gravel parking lot, making rocks fly. The gravel hit and damaged the victim’s driver’s side door and window.
The victim followed the Silverado and got the license plate number, but the other vehicle left the scene. The responding officer took crime scene photos of the damage.
Dec. 22
Chester Street (other theft/non-specific)
Someone stole the barber pole ($1,400) outside Oliver’s Barber Shop (6245 Chester St.), the victim reported on Dec. 22. The victim said the theft happened sometime after 5 p.m. Dec. 21.
He also said the conduit was damaged in the theft, and his electricity has been turning on and off since the incident. The responding officers noted that the damage was a clean cut, as if cutters were used.
U.S. 70 (misdemeanor vandalism)
Someone vandalized the Kroger Fuel Station (11635 U.S. 70), a representative reported on Dec. 22. A vehicle that looked like a black truck arrived around 5:30 a.m., and someone exited and cut five pump hoses ($40 each). The person was hard to identify because
Dec. 27
Chester Street (residential burglary)
Someone entered a home on the 5700 block of Chester Street and stole a TV of unknown make, model or size, as well as a first generation Wii game console. The victim reported the incident on Dec. 27 and said it happened between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. She told the responding officer the name of a woman she suspected.
The officer didn’t see any signs of forced entry into the home, and all entry points had been touched before the officer arrived, contaminating the crime scene.
Dec. 28
Airline Road (counterfeiting/forgery)
A clerk at the Shell Food Mart (5055 Airline Road) reported on Dec. 28 that she received several counterfeit $100 bills from two unknown customers.
A customer made a purchase with a $100 bill that she checked with a counterfeit marker, and the bill seemed to be legitimate. Then the customer asked her to break a second $100 bill, and she became suspicious when he held his head down and wouldn’t make eye contact. She took the bills to her boss, who determined they were both counterfeit.
The boss, who owns the store, said the store received counterfeit $100 bills on other dates, including three on Dec. 26 and 10 on Dec. 27. The responding deputy reviewed surveillance footage and saw a clear picture of the suspect on Dec. 28 and learned there was also video footage of the previous counterfeit incidents.
Dec. 29
Charlotte Oak Cove (intimidation/domestic violence)
A woman was surprised and frightened at home on Dec. 29 when her former boyfriend, the father of her child, entered her home without permission and set off the home’s alarm.
He moved out three weeks earlier, but they are both leaseholders for the home and he still has property there. She said he entered through the garage, using his garage door opener, setting off the home alarm. He yelled at her to give him the passcode, and she said she didn’t want him there and refused to tell him the code. She said he continued yelling, began cursing at her, slammed a small box on the kitchen floor and threw a broom. She ran to her bedroom and shut the door but said that he followed her inside and continued yelling and cursing. He gathered some items and left when she said law enforcement was on the way.
She told the responding officer that he had assaulted her in the past, when they lived in Indianapolis, and she was afraid he may assault her again. She speculated that he was living with his parents at an unknown address in the Riversedge subdivision. She left the scene with her infant child.
Dec. 30
U.S. 70 (business burglary)
Someone destroyed two vending machines at the Tennessee Department of Transportation office at 12077 U.S. 70.
The items were an AAA vending machine ($2,500) and a Coca-Cola vending machine ($2,500). Both were smashed up with the glass broken out. The complainant wasn’t able to determine how much money or products were taken, and he had no suspect information. The building’s back door and window were left unlocked. The complainant said it happened between 3:30 p.m. Dec. 29 and 6:30 a.m. Dec. 30.
Dunsmuir Lane (theft from building)
A woman reported Dec. 30 that someone took her Apple iPhone 6s at a party when she left it unattended on a table. The party was on the 12200 block of Dunsmuir Lane.
The woman said she tracked her phone via the “Find My iPhone” app to an address on the 5500 block of Apple Blossom Drive in South Memphis, but the phone has since been turned off. No suspect information is available. The stolen phone was listed on NCIC.
