A convicted felon’s multi-state retail theft crime spree came to an end in Mt. Juliet this evening after #MJGuardianShield alerted officers to a vehicle connected to felony theft investigations in multiple states.
The alert was received as the vehicle entered Mt. Juliet from Nashville on Lebanon Road. Officers immediately responded and began searching the area as the Advanced Response Communication Center confirmed the plate was associated with a felony-involved criminal vehicle.
A short time later, officers located the vehicle on Lebanon Road near Mt. Juliet Road. Officers completed a visual verification of the license plate then contained it in a parking lot and safely took the suspect, a 44-year-old California man, into custody before he could reach his next reported target, the Walgreens at Lebanon Road and Mt. Juliet Road.
Investigators learned the man had been traveling across multiple states committing organized retail thefts, primarily stealing large quantities of makeup from stores such as Walgreens and CVS.
More than $5,000 worth of suspected stolen makeup was recovered from the vehicle, along with burglary tools and marijuana.
The investigation also uncovered connections to several active theft cases in other states, including multiple jurisdictions in Missouri. In several of those cases, investigators knew the vehicle involved in the crimes but had not yet identified the suspect. His apprehension in Mt. Juliet has now provided those agencies with an identified suspect as they continue their investigations.
The man is also a convicted felon with previous California convictions that include multiple robberies and assault with a deadly weapon.
We are grateful this crime spree ended here before a business in our community could be victimized.
Criminals do not recognize city or state boundaries. They can enter our community and leave just as quickly. That is why proactive policing, strong investigative work, responsible use of technology, and partnerships with law enforcement agencies near and far are so important.
Our officers remain focused on identifying criminal activity, stopping those responsible, recovering stolen property, and protecting our residents, visitors, and businesses from those who come into Mt. Juliet intending to commit crime.
For factual information, safeguards, law, policy, and privacy protections on how Mt. Juliet’s license plate readers protect our community, please visit our transparency portal here: https://www.mtjuliet-tn.gov/1561/Guardian-Shield-License-Plate-Reader-Pro