By Chris Cannon
FRANKLIN, Tenn. - Late Tuesday night, Franklin Police officers arrested three people for allegedly putting graffiti on the walls of a law office and public parking garage. Police were tipped off to the suspects location by an alert citizen.
"I said, hey man, they're on top of that building," Johnny Haag told officers who responded to the scene just after 10:30 Tuesday night.
Haag works at the near-by Puckett's Grocery Store. His manager heard a noise and when the two went to see what was going on, they saw the alleged taggers in the parking lot.
"They kind of came back this way, back around the building and into a little playground," Haag demonstrated Wednesday afternoon.
Haag followed the trio between a church and office building where he watched them go up onto the roof of the District Attorney General's office.
"The same office that will be prosecuting them for these felony offenses," remarked Franklin Police Sergeant Charlie Warner.
Police arrested 22-year-old Robert Herron of Brentwood, 20-year-old Tripp Weir of Franklin and a 17-year-old male.
Warner said the main reason police were able to arrest the suspects was because of Haag's watchful eye.
"He stayed around, watched, monitored the area and was able to specifically identify these suspects when the officers arrived," Warner explained.
Warner thinks Haag may have stopped thousands of dollars worth of damage because the suspects were caught with two backpacks full of spray paint and stencils.
"But they also came prepared with two cameras, a video camera and still camera and actually documented the crime in progress as it happened," Warner said.
Franklin Police are waiting of a search warrant to see what the suspects recorded with their cameras.
The two suspects in their twenties face felony vandalism charges and contributing to the delinquency of a minor charges.
The juvenile also faces the felony vandalism charge, as well as a charge of violating the Tennessee curfew law.
The suspects are due in Williamson County court on July 15th.
Email: ccannon@newschannel5.com
Robert Herron and Tripp Weir
