The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) handled the following incidents in Arlington during May.
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.
May 2
Airline Road (simple assault)
Some horseplay in a classroom escalated to furniture being thrown at Arlington High School (5475 Airline Road) on April 29. The incident was not reported until May 2.
The teacher’s assistant told the male and female students to stop the roughhousing, but the male instead threw a pencil at the female. She got angry and threw a calculator at him. He also got angry and threw a chair, hitting her on the left side of her head, leaving a small scratch and bruised area. Another female student was seated next to the female victim and was struck in the arm but not injured.
The male student was suspended for three school days and was not present at the time of the report.
Lamb Road (simple assault)
A father reported on May 2 that his son was assaulted during third-period math class at Arlington Middle School (5470 Lamb Road). The youth said a classmate twisted his nipple three times and then kicked him in the privates.
May 3
Jackson Street (child abuse – simple)
A grandfather reported on May 3 that his daughter told him she’d given his granddaughter Trazadone (an antidepressant) to help the child sleep. Sheriff’s deputies, Arlington Fire and an ambulance arrived on scene.
The mother said she’d only given the child prescribed medication for allergies and at first denied giving her Trazadone. Then a check of the woman’s medicine bag revealed a prescription pill bottle for Trazadone, with each pill divided into segments. One pill was broken, and she admitted giving a 50 mg segment to the child. The child was transported to Baptist East.
One of the victim’s maternal aunts said the mom had just been released from Lakeside Behavioral Health System, had undergone shock treatments and was suffering from minor memory loss. The aunt said she set up the mother’s pill box before leaving the residence, and she noticed pills were missing. The mother said she thought she was supposed to take the pills, and she is believed to have accidentally doubled dosed her medication. The mother also was also using alcohol before deputies arrived.
An ambulance took the mother to Baptist East as well. A toxicology screen for the child came back negative, and she was released to her aunt. The broken Trazadone pill was taken into evidence. A social worker at Baptist East notified the Department of Children’s Services.
Milton Ridge Drive (theft from motor vehicle)
A citizen reported a weapon theft from a vehicle on the 5400 block of Milton Ridge the morning of May 3. The theft occurred between 10 p.m. May 2 and 7:18 a.m. May 3. The weapon was a Heckler & Koch .45-caliber pistol, and it was entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database.
Additional information was not available from the SCSO.
Dempsey Drive (theft from motor vehicle)
A man reported on May 3 that someone had stolen a weapon from his Chevy truck, which he had backed into his driveway. The only item stolen was his Winchester SXS 12-gauge shotgun ($1,300) and a Drake camo case ($20). There was no apparent damage to the vehicle.
He said the theft happened between 8 p.m. May 2 and 9:45 a.m. May 3, when he discovered the truck’s front driver’s side door was ajar. He also found that his glovebox and center console were open.
There was no known suspect information, no known witnesses and no known security cameras on the street. However there are several cameras on Milton Ridge Drive and at least one in Milton Ridge Cove. The report speculated that this may be related to another theft around the same time in this neighborhood (see the preceding incident); there have been several similar thefts in this neighborhood recently. An officer too crime scene photos and fingerprints.
May 4
Scarlet Ridge Drive (theft from motor vehicle)
Someone took a checkbook and Beats headphones from a man’s SUV that he parked unlocked in his driveway. The man discovered the theft on May 3 and reported it on May 4. He could not provide any suspect information or a serial number for the headphones.
May 5
Airline Road (simple assault)
The father of a boy suspended for simple assault on a female classmate at Arlington High School a few days earlier reported on May 5 that the female also threatened to send someone to his house and shoot it up. He said he wants to press charges against the female student, who reportedly threw a calculator at his son during the incident.
The school moved his son to a different classroom on another floor, and the female student remained in the original classroom.
May 6
Mary Lane (other theft/non-specific)
A resident on the 5500 block of Mary Lane reported on May 6 that someone stole a utility trailer from the west side of his home between 7 p.m. May 4 and 8 a.m. May 5.
He reviewed a neighbor’s poor-quality surveillance footage that showed a vehicle travel toward his house at 5:07 p.m. and then return a couple of minutes later, pulling a trailer.
May 7
Indian Walk Lane (simple assault/domestic violence)
A couple accused each other of smacks to the face in an argument about the man going out at night with friends on May 7. The two had just returned from a family function and were not able to find a babysitter for their six-year-old daughter and two-month-old son that evening.
He said she began pushing and smacking him in the face. She said that she was pushed away and smacked as she was trying to get to her sleeping son. Neither party showed signs of facial injuries and didn’t need medical attention. The deputy wasn’t able to determine who was the primary aggressor.
The woman left the home with both children to stay with her mother in Germantown.
May 8
Goat Drive (simple assault/domestic violence)
A mother reported that her son assaulted her and her other son the afternoon of May 8.
She said the first son was grounded and became upset that she had looked through his diary. She said he grabbed it from her and hit her in the chest with it. The second son said his brother shoved him and hit him in the face as he was leaving.
May 9
Airline Road (intimidation)
An angry boyfriend reportedly threatened both his girlfriend and the manager on duty at Taco Bell (4935 Airline Road) the morning of May 9.
It began with him calling multiple times over a half hour to speak with a female employee. The manager refused. Then he said he was coming to the restaurant to shoot both of them. The two victims were frightened enough that the manager locked the business as a precaution.
Officers located the suspect and arrested him on two verified outstanding warrants. He did not arrive at Taco Bell and did not produce any weapon. Both victims asked for help in obtaining an order of protection or restraining order.
May 10
Green Lee Street (misdemeanor vandalism)
Someone shattered the rear window to a woman’s minivan while it was parked in her driveway overnight. She last saw her Ford Winstar intact around 8 p.m. May 7, and she noticed the damage around 12:30 p.m. May 8. She reported the vandalism on May 10.
She did not have any suspect information but noted that her husband is upset because they are separated. The responding officer couldn’t process the crime scene because the victim had already cleaned up the glass and placed plastic over the damaged area.
May 12
Arlington Trail (theft from motor vehicle)
Someone broke into a couple’s rental car parked outside the Arlington Visitor Center (12036 Arlington Trail) on May 12.
Items stolen included the male’s backpack, which was on the back seat and contained his driver’s license, about $200 cash, an iPad, an iPad Pro, a MacBook Pro, prescription Lipitor and various items of clothing. The responding officer saw that the passenger side rear window was broken and had pry marks at the base of the window. The officer was able to pull prints off the door’s exterior and take crime scene photos, but the couple said they had opened and closed the door before the officer arrived.
Another visitor reported seeing a suspicious blue sedan in the area. The visitors’ center has an exterior camera, but it appeared to be blocked by a tree growing in front of it.
The theft occurred between 12:30 p.m. and about 2:20 p.m.
May 18
Polk Street (theft from motor vehicle)
An officer responded to a theft from motor vehicle complaint at 10 a.m. May 18, regarding tools stolen from an inoperable Chevrolet Silverado during the evening of May 5 or May 6. No report was filed them because the victim was en route to a work assignment out of the area.
When he heard of a possible arrested suspect and unclaimed stolen items, the victim decided to file after the fact. He reported that a DeWalt impact wrench, two DeWalt batteries and an Astro ball joint tool were stolen from the driver’s seat of the Silverado.
May 24
Douglass Street (theft from building)
Someone stole a teacher’s cell phone ($600) from her desk at Arlington Elementary School on May 24. Many parents were on site that day for an awards ceremony, and the victim left the phone on her desk between noon and 2 p.m. During that time period, she saw a suspect out of place in the classroom and told her where she should be for the ceremony. They both left. After the ceremony, the teacher noticed the phone was gone.
May 25
Longleaf Oak Trail (intimidation/domestic violence)
A woman reported on May 25 that her boyfriend, who stayed at her house off and on, had threatened her and done $600 worth of damage to her property.
They were arguing in her home at 11 p.m. May 24, and it escalated until she walked to her car parked in her driveway. While she was sitting there, she heard things being thrown in her garage, and her boyfriend was the only other person home at the time. Later, she saw a slit in the metal part of the garage as if it had been hit ($300). She also saw that her son’s Red Ryder BB gun was broken ($100).
The arguing continued the next morning. They were arguing in her bedroom at 10:30 a.m., she said, and it escalated until he pushed her, said he was leaving, grabbed his belongings and threw some of her clothes on the bedroom floor. They moved to her garage, and then she decided to go inside her home. She entered through the interior garage door and locked it. Then he kicked in that door ($200), she said.
She went out her front door to get in her car, but he met her by the vehicle. She told him she was going to call law enforcement, and she said he responded, “You call the police on me again, and I’ll make it worth your while.” She reported that he also said, “I will kill you if you call the police on me again.” She believed him and was afraid.
She believes when he left he went to his father’s house in Bartlett. She said she had no injuries and didn’t need medical attention.
There were no known witnesses, and there were no known security cameras in or around the home. The responding officer took crime scene photos.
May 26
Osborne Grove Drive (theft from motor vehicle)
Someone entered two unlocked vehicles parked on the 12100 block of Osborne Grove Drive and ransacked them in the early hours of May 26.
Sometime between 1:30 a.m. and about 6:20 a.m., someone entered the GM Sierra and Ford Edge, removing items from glove compartments and consoles and throwing them about the seats and interiors. Two rings and an Ibanez guitar were stolen, and a rosary and documents were found strewn in the front yard.
The homeowner recently had a lawn service aerate the lawn, leaving divots about. One divot was on the passenger side door’s step where a suspect stepped into the Sierra. A travel-size hairspray container from the console was left on the passenger seat and was found to have multiple fingerprints.
The suspect appeared to have left the crime scene headed east on Osborne Grove. An additional theft also occurred nearby on the 12100 block of Campbell Street.
Campbell Street (theft from motor vehicle)
Someone ransacked a woman’s Toyota Sequoia, left unlocked in her driveway overnight between 6 p.m. May 25 and about 6:45 a.m. May 26.
The victim said she found both passenger side doors, her center console and her glove compartment all left open. Her purse ($30) was missing from the floor behind the driver’s seat. It contained a wallet ($40), a Regions Bank debit card, a Tennessee driver’s license, a Regions Bank checkbook and her Social Security card (total loss of $70).
By the time she discovered the theft, the suspect had used her debit card at the Quick Mart at 11931 U.S. 70 in Arlington ($28.72) and at the Krystal restaurant at 3330 Austin Peay in Memphis ($45.72). When the officer followed up at the Quick Mart, the employee on duty couldn’t locate that transaction.
The victim had no suspect information, and there were no known witnesses or security cameras in the area. The responding officer took crime scene photos and fingerprints.
Hidden Trail (theft from motor vehicle)
Someone entered a man’s unlocked SUV and broke the center console ($500) overnight, he reported on May 26.
He parked his black 2014 Toyota Highlander in his driveway around 7 p.m. May 25 and discovered the damage around 7:30 a.m. May 26. Nothing appeared to be missing, but contents from the center console and glove compartment were strewn around the vehicle’s interior.
The victim didn’t have any suspect information, and there are no known video surveillance cameras in the area. While on the scene, the responding officer responded to another burglary of an auto on the same street (see the following incident).
Hidden Trail (theft from motor vehicle)
Another resident on Hidden Trail has security footage of suspects who tried to burglarize his Toyota Prius around 1:30 a.m. May 26. He said a vehicle of unknown make or model pulled up in front of his residence and three suspects got out. The first entered his car through the unlocked front driver’s side door but didn’t retrieve any belongings and then fled in the suspects’ car eastbound on Hidden Trail. The other two suspects may be involved in another nearby theft.
The victim provided security camera footage. The responding deputy took photos and lifted partial latent prints from the front driver’s side door of the Prius.
South Fork Drive (intimidation/domestic violence)
On May 26, a woman reported her belief that her estranged wife left items in her car as a threat or as part of a plan to harm her. The two are divorcing, and the suspect has moved out.
The suspect, who was recently released from Lakeside Behavioral Health Center, was using a vehicle registered in the victim’s name until it was in a crash and impounded.
A few days after the victim retrieved her vehicle from the impound lot, she found a machete, rope, duct tape, lighter fluid, gloves, hammer and blanket in the vehicle. The victim said the vehicle was full when she picked it up from the impound lot and likely contained everything her wife owns as well as the items that made her fearful.
May 27
Lamb Road (embezzlement)
An officer of the Arlington Middle School Booster Club reported on May 27 that the club’s Anchor audio speaker was missing. The suspect, a person formerly aligned with the club, had the property in her care after an April 7 cheer performance. Since then, the suspect has resigned her position related to the club and denies having the speaker.
She said the speaker was in an auditorium closet in the school, but the complainant said it’s not there. The complainant reported the incident to the school’s administration, who also couldn’t locate the speaker.
May 30
Millwind Drive (simple assault/domestic violence)
A woman and the father of her baby escalated an argument into a physical fight the afternoon of May 30. They were arguing about the baby’s father taking the one-month-old to a friend’s house.
The woman said the baby’s father became upset and she tried to take the baby from him, but he pushed her arm away and pushed her to the ground. She got scratches and a bruise on her right forearm. He then punched a hole in an interior wall and punched a wooden table.
The baby’s father said they were arguing when she slapped his face, and he then punched the wall and a table. He might have sustained a broken hand. The responding officers didn’t see any redness or swelling on his face.
The incident happened at the home of the woman’s father on the 11600 block of Millwind Drive. He didn’t see the incident but said he wants to prosecute the younger man for vandalizing his wall.
Officers determined the baby’s father was the primary aggressor, arrested him and transported him to Regional One to have his injuries evaluated.
May 31
Memphis Arlington Road (misdemeanor drugs/narcotics violation)
While performing a routine contraband check around 7:30 a.m. May 31 before another shift began, an officer found a sandwich bag containing what appeared to be marijuana in the rear passenger footwell area of an SCSO vehicle.
The baggie’s contents tested positive as marijuana and weighed in at 2.4 grams total gram weight (TGW).
Shetland Loop (felony vandalism)
The owner of a red Jeep Grand Cherokee found that someone had shot his vehicle multiple times with what appeared to be a pellet gun. There were about five pellet marks, and one pellet shattered the rear passenger window.
The victim, who lives on the 11000 block of Shetland Loop, had no suspects.
He estimated that the vandalism happened between 7 p.m. May 29 and almost 8 p.m. May 31.
