Mt. Juliet Police Newsroom

Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Officers quickly apprehended an unlocked car burglary suspect, who was actively burglarizing vehicles in a neighborhood. On Thursday, May 17, 2018 around 4:45 a.m., multiple officers flooded the Willoughby Station neighborhood after a homeowner reported a man was actively burglarizing cars in the 3000 block of Melbourne Terrace. After a good description from the homeowner and while searching the neighborhood, the suspect was located in the driveway of a home on Alex Way.

When officers contacted the suspect, identified as 27-year-old Jason Tallent of Hermitage, they found he attempted to hide a handgun he was in possession of. In addition, he was showing signs of impairment.

The investigation remains active, and detectives are piecing together all the possible crimes committed by Tallent in the neighborhood. He was arrested and booked in the Wilson County Jail, charged with Burglary of a Motor Vehicle, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, and Public Intoxication.

If anyone has any information about this incident, they are encouraged to call the Mt. Juliet Police Department at (615) 754-2550. Information can also be given anonymously by calling (615) 754-TIPS (8477) or via the Mt. Juliet Police Department website at http://www.mjpd.org/ .

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Detectives have confirmed a suspicious interaction at a bus stop between a 10-year-old girl and unknown adult man, who asked her to get into his car. Around 6:15 a.m. on Friday, May 11, 2018 at Hickory Station town homes, located near Main Street and West Division St, an adult witness reported to police that a suspicious man was talking to a girl.

Further investigation revealed an unknown adult man pulled up to the 10-year-old girl and began a conversation while she sat on the curb. During that conversation, the girl was asked by the man many times to get into the car. When she became frightened, she ran away to a nearby friend. An adult male, with no relation to the little girls, was walking his dog and saw the interaction, but he did not hear the conversation. When the girl ran away from the suspicious man, he sped away on W. Division Street towards N. Mt. Juliet Road.

The suspect was described as an adult, heavyset black male with facial hair on his chin and facial scaring. He was wearing a black jacket and black ball cap over a black skull cap. He was driving a dirty, black 4-door car with tan seats, non-tinted windows, and described as being full of old newspapers, magazines, trash, and bags in the rear seat.

When this incident was reported, multiple officers flooded the area in hopes of finding the suspect, but the suspect was not located.

“We place the safety of our community’s children at the highest priority, and along our efforts to make the public aware of this suspicious incident, officers will continue to be-on-the-lookout for the suspect. Extra patrols will also be conducted near school bus stop locations in our community.” stated Captain Tyler Chandler. “While we do not know the man’s intentions, all indications lead us to believe that the interaction occurred. If this man had no-ill intentions, our hope is that he would contact us so we can put the community at ease.”

Parents are encouraged to have a conversation with their children to remind them about the dangers that strangers can pose to them.

If anyone has any information about this incident, they are encouraged to call the Mt. Juliet Police Department at (615) 754-2550. Information can also be given anonymously by calling (615) 754-TIPS (8477) or via the Mt. Juliet Police Department website at http://www.mjpd.org/ .

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – An officer broke a window to access a young child after a citizen reported the child was left alone in a hot SUV. Around 2:42 p.m. this afternoon, officers responded to Walgreens, at 206 Crossings Lane, in regards to an unattended child in the backseat of Nissan Rogue SUV. Officers arrived to find a 2-year-old little boy who was buckled in a car seat, screaming, crying, and sweating to the point that his hair was soaked. The officers did not hesitate, and they busted out a window to rescue the child from the dangerous heat. Medics responded to the scene to make sure the child was not injured.

The mother, identified as 30-year-old Mariam Banoub of Mt. Juliet, was located inside the store with a 4-year-old female child. Information from the scene led officers to believe that the child was intentionally left unattended for nearly 40 minutes. After resisting officers Banoub was arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail, charged with Leaving a Child Unattended in a Motor Vehicle, Child Neglect, and Resisting Arrest.

The children were released to the father. While waiting on the father, the children were cared for by a female officer on scene.

Parents and guardians, including pet owners, should understand that the temperature inside a car can reach dangerous levels within minutes on a sunny, warm day. In addition, cracking a window has little effect on the temperature inside a vehicle. Tennessee law prohibits leaving a child unattended in a vehicle (TCA: 39-10-803), and animal cruelty laws could apply if a pet is left unattended in a vehicle as well.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – A man is in jail after police were made aware of a disturbing Facebook Live video broadcasting a man being threatened with a handgun in real-time. Around 2:00 a.m. this morning, officers began to investigate and search for the victim who was being threatened in the video. The investigation led to a home in the 1400 block of Brighton Circle, which was identified as the location of the live broadcast.

Unaware of the armed man’s intention, Mt. Juliet’s Special Response and Crisis Negotiation Teams responded to the home to resolve the incident. Through their work, an adult male suspect, adult male victim and one adult female willingly exited the home. The suspect, a convicted felon, was identified as 34-year-old Lonnie Baggatta of Old Hickory. Further investigation also led to the discovery of marijuana and handgun used in the video.

During the incident, four homes were evacuated as a precaution while the Special Response Team operated in the area. Those persons were housed briefly in the neighborhood club house. The Fire Department of Mt. Juliet, Wilson County Emergency Management Agency, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and Wilson County Sheriff provided stand-by assistance.

Baggatta was arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail, charged with Aggravated Assault, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (Convicted Felon in Possession of a Handgun), and Simple Possession of a Schedule VI Drug (marijuana).

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – A reality-based portrayal of a car crash and the subsequent response by first responders, emergency medical personnel, and law enforcement will take place this Thursday at 1:00 p.m. at Mt. Juliet High School. A joint-effort with the school’s health science classes and Mt. Juliet Police Department will bring the dangers of distracted driving to reality, just days before prom on Saturday.

The purpose of this exercise is to impress upon students the serious consequences of driving while distracted. The students will receive firsthand experience of exactly what they could be responsible for, including killing someone, possibly one of their friends, as well as being arrested for crimes as serious as vehicular homicide. In addition, the mock crash is also a reminder for parents and guardians to talk to their teens about the consequences of bad driving behavior.

The crash will take place on Golden Bear Gateway, directly in front of Mt. Juliet High School. Therefore, Golden Bear Gateway will be closed between Stonehollow Way and Woodridge Place on Thursday, April 19, 2018 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. for the exercise. During the simulated response, the public should expect to see emergency vehicles and a medical helicopter in the area of Mt. Juliet High School.

Agencies participating in the event are: Mt. Juliet Police Department, Fire Department of Mt. Juliet, Wilson County Emergency Management Agency, and Vanderbilt Lifeflight. Hamblen’s Wrecker Service of Mt. Juliet is providing the crashed vehicles for the exercise.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Police are working to identify a suspect, who stole a Smartphone after the owner accidentally left it unattended. The phone was reported stolen on Sunday, April 15, 2018, after surveillance video from Goodwill, at 1985 Providence Parkway, captured an adult male taking it. A security feature on the phone captured a photo of the suspect, which is the same person captured on surveillance video. It is believed that the suspect lives in the Nashville area.

If anyone has a feeling that they possibly know the suspect responsible for this crime, they are encouraged to call the Mt. Juliet Police Department at (615) 754-2550. Information can also be given anonymously by calling (615) 754-TIPS (8477) or via the Mt. Juliet Police Department website at http://www.mjpd.org/ .

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – An impaired driver remains in jail after leading police on a short, low-speed pursuit in a crashed, stolen car. On Thursday, April 12, 2018 around 6:15 p.m. officers were summoned to the area of Golden Bear Gateway near Interstate 40 to be on the lookout for a crashed car that was doing circles in the middle of the roadway. Officers arrived to find a car with significant windshield damage, occupied by an adult man, travelling slowly down Golden Bear Gateway.

Officers attempted to stop the car, but the man continued to drive about a mile before deciding to pull over for the officers. After taking the driver, identified as 36-year-old Eric Moore of Cookeville, into custody, officers located possible methamphetamine in his possession. Further investigation revealed Moore was in possession of a car stolen out of Putnam county and driving on a revoked driver’s license as an habitual offender. He also exhibited signs of impairment.

Moore was arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail, charged with Driving on Revoked – Habitual Offender, Unlawful Possession of a Schedule I Drug (methamphetamine), Theft of Property, Leaving the Scene of a Crash, Resisting Arrest, and Driving Under the Influence.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – After crashing into a utility pole and fleeing the scene, a wanted man was arrested for DUI and other charges. On Saturday, March 24, 2018 around 8:45 a.m., emergency responders were summoned to the area of N. Mt. Juliet Road and Creekwood Drive after a report of a crash. Bystanders reported that the driver, later identified as 24-year-old Raymond Acost of Hermitage, ran from the scene.

Officers arrived in the area, and they were able to find Acost hiding in a nearby wooded area, where he was taken into custody. He was also wanted out of Nashville for a probation violation and found to be driving on a revoked drivers license.

Further investigation revealed that Acost exhibited signs of impairment, and officers determined he was impaired at the time of the crash. No one was seriously injured nor required medical transport as a result of the crash.

Acost was arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail, charged with Driving Under the Influence – 3^rd Offense, Driving on a Revoked Drivers License – 2^nd Offense, Leaving the Scene of a Crash, Failure to Report a Crash, Possession of Illegal Drug Paraphernalia, and Evading Arrest.

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Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Surveillance video captured the theft of an unlocked, running car at a gas station, where the car was later used in a shooting incident outside of Mt. Juliet. On March 11, 2018 around 7:35 p.m. officers were summoned to the Shell gas station, at 14422 Lebanon Road, in regards to a car theft. While the victim went inside the store to buy items, the car was left unlocked and running. A black late 2000’s model BMW 5 series, with a spare tire on the front driver’s side, pulls up, and an occupant jumps out and steals the victim’s car. The suspect, described as a tall, thin light-skinned black male, drove the stolen car away towards Hermitage.

Further investigation revealed that the car was involved in a shooting-related incident in Metro-Nashville on March 12, 2018. The stolen car has already been recovered, and it is being processed for evidence.

Anyone with any information about those responsible for this crime are encouraged to call the Mt. Juliet Police Department at (615) 754-2550. Information can also be given anonymously by calling (615) 754-TIPS (8477) or via the Mt. Juliet Police Department website at http://www.mjpd.org/ .

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