Carjacking suspects in two separate cases have been taken into custody thanks to teamwork between Metro officers and helicopter pilots.
Officials said all of those arrested were teenagers. They confirmed 16-year-old Jevon Wilson, 18-year-old Eric Thompson, and 16-year-old Sudarius Johnson were apprehended in the separate cases that took place Thursday and Friday.
According to reports, a 43-year-old female victim had her Toyota Camry stolen at gunpoint around 6:30 p.m. Thursday on Vanderhorst Drive. The suspect was later identified as Wilson.
When the suspect sped away, a helicopter followed the vehicle’s path until it was abandoned on Whites Creek Pike.
Detectives said they learned three teens had flagged down another car and asked for a ride from that area to Buena Vista Pike.
The teens were spotted in a yard in the 5300 block of Buena Vista Pike and ran when officers approached.
All three teens were captured, and authorities said Wilson admitted to robbing the victim of her car at gunpoint.
He was being held in juvenile detention on charges of aggravated robbery and unlawful gun possession.
In the other case, officials said a 23-year-old woman was robbed of her purse and Buick Park Avenue at gunpoint in the 200 block of Heiman Street around 8:15 p.m. Friday.
When officers spotted the car later, the driver refused to pull over.
A police helicopter then followed the Buick to the intersection of Cleveland and North 9th Streets where it stopped.
When the suspects went into an apartment, those in the helicopter were able to tell officials on the ground.
That’s when Thompson and his accomplice, Johnson, were arrested.
Thompson was being held in lieu of a $75,000 bond on charges of aggravated robbery, unlawful gun possession, evading arrest, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Johnson was being held at juvenile detention on charges of aggravated robbery, unlawful gun possession, evading arrest, and driving without a license.
