Lakeland saw a range of criminal activities during January, from a pregnant woman dragged around a parking lot to an ex-girlfriend kicking in a hotel window, pistols being swiped from trucks and beneath mattresses,and death threats via calls and texts.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Department (SCSO) reported the following incidents in Lakeland for January 2015.
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.
Jan. 4
Ace Drive (other theft/non-specific)
Someone stole a locked bike from an apartment’s patio rail on the 9300 block of Ace Drive on Jan. 4. The victim said the theft occurred between 9:20 a.m. and 1 p.m.
An SCSO employee entered the green-and-white Diamondback bike ($360) into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database.
Canada Road (simple assault/domestic violence)
A man punched and dragged his pregnant wife around a Waffle House parking lot (3640 Canada Road) after a Jan. 4 meeting to exchange personal property erupted into an argument.
She said he got angry because of some discrepancy with the property and pushed her. When she pushed back, he punched her upper torso until she fell, and then he dragged her across the parking lot by her feet while she tried to escape.
She said he tossed her personal items across the parking lot and drove off, jumping the parking lot curb with his vehicle.
The incident happened between 7:35 p.m. and 7:45 p.m., but the victim said their argument started the previous day. The couple have been married a year and have a one-year-old daughter, and the victim was 12 weeks’ pregnant at the time of the fight.
She said she was uninjured and refused medical treatment. The responding officers did not observe any visible scratches, marks or bruises to the victim.
The couple are not permanent Shelby County residents but are staying temporarily at a home within the county. The wife was unable to provide the address at the time of the report.
Jan. 5
U.S. 64 (other theft/non-specific)
A man reported that he caught a tire thief red-handed at Gateway Tire & Service Center (9750 U.S. 64) the morning of Jan. 5. The suspect, a black male, was removing tires from a non-enclosed and unlocked structure behind the business. When confronted, the suspect removed two tires from his pickup’s bed and fled.
The witness said he drove off in a black Chevrolet pickup with a Tennessee tag and a football helmet decal on the driver’s side door. The theft occurred between 9:15 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.
The store’s security footage showed the man placing four times into the truck. The two stolen had a combined value of $40.
Jan. 8
Quebec Lane (simple assault/domestic violence)
A couple’s argument escalated into a slapping and shoving fight around 10 p.m. Jan. 8. They returned to their home on the 9800 block of Quebec Lane after sharing a bottle of wine over dinner.
Back at home, they argued about their place of employment and employees. The husband said his wife slapped and pushed him, and she said they pushed each other.
They said they weren’t injured and declined medical attention. Officers could not determine who was the primary aggressor.
Jan. 10
Harrow Cove (theft from motor vehicle)
A resident on the 3000 block of Harrow Cove said someone stole a pistol, ammunition and other items totaling $1,360 from his truck overnight on Jan. 9-10.
That morning, he spotted his sunglasses perched on the hood of his truck instead of their usual spot inside on the passenger-side sun visor. Then he saw his center console was standing open.
Items stolen included a Colt.45 pistol ($1,000), four boxes of ammo ($40 each), six magazines ($25 each), a pair of black gloves ($20) and a black handbag ($30) from the back seat.
He said the truck, parked outside his garage, had been locked overnight. The responding officer did not see marks of a forced entry, and the crime scene was not workable because the victim had already poked around in the truck that morning. The gun’s serial number was placed on NCIC.
U.S. 64 (theft from motor vehicle)
A woman returned from an hour inside L.A. Fitness (9020 U.S. 64) around 1 p.m. Jan. 10 and found that someone had smashed the driver’s side window of her car and stolen her purse.
Someone tried forcing the door lock on her 2006 Chevy Camaro before smashing the window and then going through the back of the rear seat to get to her purse, locked in the trunk.
She saw two black males just sitting in a white Dodge Challenger nearby when she returned to her car.
Fraudulent charges were already adding up on her Regions Visa debit card when she called her bank to cancel it: $37.69 at an undisclosed Texaco location and two $1 charges at a Shell station (1920 Whitten Road).
All three charges were at gas pumps. The responding officer checked with both locations; no additional information was available at the Shell location, and the Texaco clerk said the surveillance cameras might have been malfunctioning.
Jan. 11
Front Nine Drive (simple assault)
A man reported a beating after his ex-girlfriend’s sister, two brothers and three other males showed up at his house on the 9200 block of Front Nine Drive on Jan. 11. The victim said he opened the door to the siblings around 3:30 p.m., and three others followed them inside. All the males started punching and kicking the ex-boyfriend in the face.
One warned him, “If you call the police, we will kill you.”
All the attackers were black males wearing all-black clothing, and they drove off in a gray Toyota sedan.
The victim called the SCSO, and the responding officer observed his facial bruising and took photos of the injuries. The victim received medical attention on the scene, and an ambulance took him to Saint Francis – Bartlett in stable condition.
Jan. 12
Triumph Circle (sexual assault with an object)
Someone sexually assaulted a resident on Triumph Circle, using an object, between 8 a.m. Jan. 9 and 6:42 p.m. Jan. 12. Additional details have not been released.
Jan. 13
Huff N Puff Road (simple assault/domestic violence)
A guest at Motel 6 (9822 Huff N Puff Road) on Jan. 13 said knocking at his motel room door woke him up. He couldn’t see anyone through the peephole, so he asked twice who was there. His ex-girlfriend eventually spoke up and asked to come inside. When he told her to leave, she got angry, kicked in his window and left. He went downstairs to call the police, and he saw her in the lobby, where he said she hit his face and threw him to the ground.
The responding officer saw her walking away from the scene and detained her for further investigation. The motel clerk identified her as the woman who attacked the victim.
The responding officer noticed that the victim had facial scratches and his shirt was torn, but he refused medical treatment.
She told the responding officer she was trying to talk to her ex-boyfriend after they recently argued over the phone. She admitted shattering the window ($600) and was arrested.
Beowolf Glade Cove (simple assault/domestic violence)
A father who lives on the 3100 block of Beowolf Glade Cove said he was on the phone between 5:45 a.m. and 6:15 p.m. Jan. 13 when his adopted 14-year-old son swore at him, told him to shut up, said he was tired of his stepfather, hit him in the mouth and began to throw more punches.
The man said he “bear hugged” the youth from behind to control him and put him on the floor, but the boy bit him on the left forearm. During the struggle, the man’s watchband scraped the boy’s chest, leaving a minor abrasion.
Both parties refused medical attention. Officers took crime scene photos of both victim and suspect, charged the youth with domestic assault and drove him to juvenile court.
U.S. 64 (false pretenses/swindle/confidence game)
A representative of Gateway Tire & Service Center (9750 U.S. 64) said a man received $1,423.64 of service to his 2008 Dodge Ram on Dec. 10 and told the center to bill his employer, Phelps Electric.
Around Jan. 1, the representative learned that the truck owner had been fired from Phelps Electric on Dec. 9, and the truck did not belong to the company.
The complainant reported the incident on Jan. 13 and said he will provide investigators with surveillance video evidence.
Jan. 14
Stewart Road (theft from motor vehicle)
A business owner on the 9400 block of Stewart Road said someone stole gas-powered equipment from the backs of his work trucks between 5 p.m. Jan. 13 and the morning of Jan. 14. Items missing included seven orange Stihl gas chainsaws and one red RedMax gas blower.
All vehicles were locked and parked in a fenced area, but one end of the fence was open because of a missing gate or fencing material.
There was no witness information. All stolen items were added to NCIC.
Canada Road (theft from motor vehicle)
A woman reported multiple items stolen from her Jeep Wrangler between 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Jan. 14. The vehicle was parked on the south side of The Pet Hospitals (2961 Canada Road, Suite 101).
Items stolen included Merrell shoes, tortoiseshell Ray-Ban sunglasses, gold-framed aviator Ray-Ban sunglasses, silver utility pocket knife, about $5 in loose change and an emergency window-breaking tool.
The victim said she thought the doors were locked, but the responding officers did not see damage to the vehicle.
A landscaping worker said he witnessed a 2010-12 GMC 1500 series pickup circling the lot several times, but he didn’t have any information on the tag or the driver. The building did not have video cameras facing that area.
One of the responding officers collected a latent fingerprint and took photos.
U.S. 64 (theft from motor vehicle)
A woman noticed her purse was missing from her Chevy Tahoe, around 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 14 after returning from L.A. Fitness (9020 U.S. 64). The vehicle was locked and secured during her 8:30-10 a.m. gym visit.
The purse contained her wallet, bank cards, credit cards, driver’s license, gift cards and Galaxy Note 3 cellphone.
Jan. 16
U.S. 64 (theft from building)
A man reported that a woman picked up his clothes from Dryve Cleaners (8950 U.S. 64) without his permission around 3:15 p.m. Jan. 13. The cleaners provided a video recording of the woman making the pickup.
Items taken totaled $5,340: Four blue pairs of Robin jeans ($995 each), four Polo sport shirts ($100 each), four Polo outwear jackets ($170 each), two Polo vests ($110 each), a pair of light work pants ($60).
Jan. 17
Cutter Cove (intimidation/domestic violence)
A woman reported on Jan. 17 that her ex-boyfriend continues texting and emailing her despite the fact that she and the Memphis Police Department have told him to stop.
She said he used Instagram and his phone to threaten her and a male friend with bodily harm around 9 p.m. on Jan. 14.
The victim said she fears for her life and the lives of her child and best friend staying at her home on the 3800 block of Cutter Cove. She said she hasn’t had any physical fights with her ex since 2013.
She said he asked permission to use her Social Security number for some personal reasons, and when she refused he threatened to kill her.
Jan. 19
Saffron Spring Drive (vandalism/misdemeanor)
Someone broke the driver’s side window of a man’s Ford Expedition while it was parked on the street outside his home on the 5300 block of Saffron Springs Drive.
He said the vehicle was not ransacked and nothing was missing. The vandalism happened between 11 p.m. Jan. 18 and 7:30 a.m. Jan. 19.
Jan. 20
Stewart Road (felony vandalism/domestic violence)
A property owner reported on Jan. 20 that an off-duty officer who has permission to hunt on his land discovered 10 juvenile suspects having a bonfire on the land, with multiple pickups damaging the property.
Recent rains made the dirt road to the scene inaccessible to officers. They took crime scene photos of the front part of the road but were advised that the majority of the damage was in the rear of the property, which will cost about $6,000 to repair.
The victim named one suspect who worked for him about a year ago and who called on Jan. 3 to say that he and friends had a bonfire there.
The property owner said he wants the damaged property to be repaired.
Triumph Circle (residential burglary)
Someone forced open a man’s apartment door and ransacked his apartment on the 9300 block of Triumph Drive between 12:45 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. Jan. 20, the victim reported.
Items stolen included a gold chain, gold ring and a men’s gold chain bracelet.
Jan. 23
Herons Ridge Road (theft from motor vehicle)
A Herons Ridge Road resident reported Jan. 23 that someone stole a handgun from his Ford F350 sometime between noon Jan. 13 and the current date.
The victim could not determine the date or location of the theft or whether the vehicle was locked at the time.
The handgun is a Colt 1911 .45 caliber ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) with a blued finished slide and dark wood grips ($1,500).
It was taken from the truck’s center console. The firearm was entered into the NCIC database.
Jan. 25
Clubview North (theft from building))
A woman on the 3100 block of Clubview North reported on Jan. 25 that someone had stolen her pistol from beneath her mattress sometime within the past two weeks.
Items stolen included the .38 caliber Smith & Wesson snub-nosed revolver, as well a gold necklace and two gold rings belonging to her boyfriend.
The responding officer saw no sign of forcible entry, and there had not been any contractors or other workmen in her residence. The victim said there had been a football party of 15-20 men in the home during that time period, and she didn’t know all of the guests’ names.
The victim said she would get the list of names and provide it to detectives for checking with local pawn shop records. The revolver’s serial number was entered into the NCIC database.
Cedar Point Road (theft from building)
A man reported on Jan. 25 that someone stole his GoPro camera from a party on the 4000 block of Cedar Point Road between 9 p.m. Jan. 24 and the early morning of Jan. 25.
He said he left the GoPro in place to capture moments from the party and last saw it around midnight. It was missing when he prepared to leave.
He texted all partygoers but got no response about his GoPro. The camera’s serial number was entered in the NCIC database.
Jan. 26
Back Nine Drive (felony vandalism)
A motorcycle owner reported that some unknown person had put three large scratches on the gas tank of his Honda Shadow and ripped holes in the seat sometime between 7 p.m. Jan. 24 and around noon Jan. 26.
The bike was parked uncovered in a parking lot on the 9300 block of Back Nine Drive.
Jan. 30
Champions Drive (intimidation/domestic violence)
A woman reported around 4:50 a.m. Jan. 30 that her ex-boyfriend sent her a threatening text.
She ended their relationship more than a year ago because of domestic violence but never filed charges, she said.
She showed the officer three text messages from around 2:13 a.m. One of themsaid, “You and your kid she needs 2 die 2.” The victim said her daughter was not at home when she received the text.
Jan. 31
Pleasant Ridge Road (threatening phone call)
A male residing on the 9500 block of Pleasant Ridge Road reported receiving a threatening phone call around 4 a.m. Jan. 31.
The complainant explained that he and friends were at a party around 11 a.m. the previous day when one friend and an unknown person fought. The caller who threatened the complainant was also on scene but not involved in the fight.
Apparently, someone slashed the suspect’s tires, however, and he believed the complainant’s friend was responsible.
The complainant and his friend put the suspect on speakerphone when he demanded that his tires be paid for. The complainant and the suspect exchanged words, and then the suspect said, “I’ll be slinging bullets” and “I’ll burn your house down and kill your animals.”
The suspect and his mother showed up at the victi’s house around 4 p.m. to talk about getting the tires fixed, and the complainant said there were no threats or fights during the visit.
The complainant said his friend and the suspect spoke again later, and the issue has been handled.
The complainant said he still wanted to make a report about the threats, and he provided the responding officer with the suspect’s name and telephone number.
