Mt. Juliet Police Newsroom

Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Three adults are in custody after officers responded to a shoplifting in progress incident at Walmart. On Thursday, August 30, around 5:00 p.m., officers responded to the area of Walmart, at 300 Pleasant Grove Road, in search of a man who fled the area after shoplifting. An off-duty police officer spotted the man, later identified as 29-year-old James Jones of Nashville, entering a crawl space at a home in the 1400 block of Barrett Drive. Jones was ultimately taken into custody and found to be in possession of the stolen merchandise.

Further investigation revealed that Jones arrived with two other people, and officers located them in the parking lot of Walmart. While investigating, officers found 38-year-old John Murdock of Hermitage in possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia. 24-year-old Alexandria Terry of Nashville was found wanted out of Nashville for failure to be booked.

Jones was arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail, charged with Burglary, Evading Arrest, and Theft of Merchandise.

Murdock was arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail, charged with Simple Possession of a Schedule I Drug (Heroin) and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Terry was arrested and transferred to Metro-Nashville Police for her outstanding warrant for arrest.

###

Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – The Mt. Juliet Golden Bears will take on the Lebanon Blue Devils tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m., which is expected to be a very well-attended, popular game. Mt. Juliet police officers will be on hand in the area to aid with any traffic issues that could arise. Officers will also be watching for illegal parking in neighborhoods near Mt. Juliet High School.

If parking becomes full at Mt. Juliet High School’s parking lot, attendees are encouraged to park on the shoulder of Golden Bear Gateway. Parking is prohibited inside any neighborhood.

Motorists should be mindful of the increased traffic expected for the evening in the Golden Bear Gateway corridor. From everyone at Mt. Juliet Police, we wish everyone a safe, enjoyable evening. Go Bears!

###

Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Mt. Juliet Police continue to urge residents to remove their valuables and lock their cars after burglaries occurred to four unlocked cars in the Cambridge Crossing neighborhood. Under the cover of darkness and during the early morning hours, around 2:30 a.m., burglars searched for unlocked cars in neighborhoods off N. Greenhill Road. The thieves directly checked doors, car-to-car, to find any that are not locked.

The unknown burglars took a digital tablet, cash, and coins. In one particular incident, the suspects entered an open garage and burglarized both vehicles inside. The specific streets affected by the burglaries inside the city limits were Wrencrest Drive and Brenthaven Drive.

Residents are urged to remove all valuables, including any vehicle titles, from their cars and ensure doors are locked. Each of these crimes could have been prevented by just locking the car. Also, homeowners are asked to check their outdoor surveillance video footage to see if any suspects were caught on camera operating in the area.

A $500.00 cash reward is being offered to anyone that can provide information that leads to the conviction of the offenders responsible for these crimes.

Anyone with any information regarding the burglaries is 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/.

###

Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Armed teens carjacked an adult man overnight at Exxon after their other stolen car broke down nearby. Around 2:30 a.m. this morning, a 39-year-old man was approached by three teenagers while he was pumping gas at Exxon, at 125 N. Mt. Juliet Road. One of the teens pressed a handgun on the victim’s head during the robbery. The teens stole his wallet and 2014 Gray Kia Sportage, fleeing towards Nashville on Interstate 40. The victim’s credit card  was used around an hour later at a market in Smyrna, where the teens bought snacks.

Officers discovered a stolen, broke down 2004 Toyota Camry near the gas station that was abandoned. It is believed that after the suspect’s stolen car broke down they went to the gas station to steal another car. The Toyota Camry was stolen from Nashville during a robbery only hours before.

“Suburban communities around the Nashville area continue to experience dangerous crimes committed by teenagers. While our police officers work hard to prevent such from happening, we are not immune to this crime,” stated Chief James Hambrick. “Our community needs to be aware of this activity and be mindful of their surroundings when out late at night or in the early morning hours.”

If anyone has a feeling that they possibly know the suspects 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/ .

###

Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – After spotting a suspicious person walking along Lebanon Road near Devonshire Drive, a man was arrested in the Shell gas station burglary that occurred on Saturday, August 18. An astute officer patrolling the area noticed a suspicious person around 10:15 a.m. this morning, who attempted to hide a backpack as the officer drove by.

After speaking with the person, 19-year-old Luciano Ruotolo of Mt. Juliet, it was determined that he was responsible for the Shell gas station burglary, where nearly $1,000 of Juul vape pods and pens were stolen after the front glass was busted. Further investigation by detectives also revealed that Ruotolo was in possession of nearly half of the items stolen from the gas station.

“Mt. Juliet’s finest work hard to keep our community safe, and they are always on the lookout for suspicious activity,” stated Chief James Hambrick. “We continue to be relentless in our desire to make sure Mt. Juliet is one of the safest communities in Tennessee.”

Ruotolo was arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail, charged with Burglary, Theft of Property, Unlawful Possession of Burglary Tools, and Vandalism.

###

Update / Arrest Made: https://mjpdnews.org/2018/08/20/suspicious-person-investigation-leads-to-apprehension-of-gas-station-burglar/

Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Early this morning, a burglar broke through glass to steal nearly $1,000 in vape pens. Around 3:00 a.m. this morning, the burglar broke into the Shell Gas Station, at 14422 Lebanon Road, and took Juul vape pods and Juul vape pens. After the theft, surveillance video confirmed the burglar ran away towards Devonshire Drive.

The burglar is described as a very thin white male, approximately 6′ tall, and was wearing a black hat and red bandana over his face.

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/ .

Hermitage, Tenn. – Steadfast work from Mt. Juliet detectives led to the apprehension of an adult man, wanted for multiple charges related to credit card skimming activity in Charlotte, NC. Using investigative techniques, it was discovered that the unnamed, 30-year-old man was likely in the Mt. Juliet area. Detectives searched for the man, and he was apprehended driving a rental vehicle in Hermitage on Old Hickory Boulevard near Interstate 40 around 9:00 p.m. last night.

During the apprehension, detectives discovered credit card skimming equipment and multiple cloned credit cards. It is likely that the he was in the process or attempting to skim credit cards in the area.

Individuals are encouraged to watch their debit and credit card transactions for fraudulent activity. If any suspicious transactions are spotted, the card issuer should be notified immediately.

Due to the continuing investigation, the man’s identity was not released.

###

Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – School zones will have a strong focus by Mt. Juliet police officers as students in Wilson County head back to school. Officers will be focusing on motorists who disregard laws designed to protect children in school zones and will be providing extra attention at designated routes to and from schools during the first few weeks. In addition to the reduced speed limits in school zones, officers will be focusing on handheld cell phone use in school zones, school bus stop-arm, texting while driving, seat belt, and child passenger safety laws.

Last week, Chief James Hambrick also spoke to Wilson County’s school crossing guards and expressed support for all the hard, very important work they do to keep students safe. Throughout the school year, the department will keep an open line of communication with crossing guards so they can easily report unsafe drivers or any other safety issues within the city limits.

Digital radar speed signs have been deployed to school zones to also raise awareness. Mt. Juliet Police have three digital speed signs that display the speed of cars and visually warn drivers if they are driving above the speed limit.

Parents are encouraged to visit their child’s school website to become familiar with the traffic plans for drop-off and pick-up at each school. Wilson County School’s website is: http://www.wcschools.com/.

To ensure our school zones are safe this school year, Mt. Juliet Police offer the following suggestions:

• Give yourself plenty of time in the morning! As traffic volumes and congestion on the roadways increase, so does the length of time it takes to travel to your destination. Giving yourself more time, by leaving earlier, reduces stress, increases your awareness, and improves your driving. Obey the posted speed limit signs and directional signs. This includes marked curbs. These signs and curb markings assist in the traffic flow into and out of the schools and assist in the safety of the students who walk and bike to school. One misplaced car can disrupt the traffic flow and the safety of our students.
• Be patient! Impatience leads to aggressive driving, rude or unwarranted behavior, pedestrian and bicycle collisions, and it creates traffic gridlock. Remember, everyone has the same goal in mind, to get our children safely to and from school. Also remember, the habits you exhibit in your driving and demeanor are typically passed on to your children when they start driving.
• If you are driving your children to school, have them ready to leave the car, with all of their belongings, when you come to a stop at the school. Backups and delays are caused when children have to get their backpacks and other items from the trunk or back seat of a car. Explore other alternatives such as carpool, ride-sharing, walking, or biking to school.
• Watch and obey the school crossing guards. Crossing guards are provided to assist with school traffic and the safe crossing of your students across the surrounding streets near each elementary school. Be on the lookout, be prepared to stop, and be prepared to follow their directions so our children can get to and from school safely.

Stopping for a School Bus Law:

###

Mt. Juliet, Tenn. – Mt. Juliet Police has launched a new unit to further serve the community and free up officers for higher priority incidents. A new civilian, all volunteer unit in the department, Community Service Officers will be deployed in the field to aid police officers by responding to lower priority calls for service.

Community Service Officers, when on duty, are available to assist with traffic control, visibility patrols, motorist assists, roadway debris removal, extra patrols, home vacation checks, and many other low priority incidents. The unit is designed to relieve police officers of some of the more minor and routine tasks that can more effectively and economically be handled by civilian volunteers. Thus, freeing up police officers to deal with higher priority tasks and criminal activities more comparable with their training and expertise.

Community Service Officers are civilians, not police officers, and undergo a 50-hour training program before starting their service. They are identified in bright green, reflective polo shirts and black pants. The department plans to open up opportunities for interested citizens to become a volunteer Community Service Officer in the future.

###