NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — What began as a frightening robbery for one woman and a close call for another has led to an unexpected bond, forged through faith and coincidence.
Rita Tinnin and Sherry Tinnin Johnson said they met because of a crime — one that left Rita without her car and nearly made Sherry a victim as well.
Last Friday, Rita was working on Chestnut Street when she said that a man walked inside while holding a rock.
“He has this rock in his hand, and I looked at him and was like, 'Can help you?' And he kept walking pretty fast towards me,” Rita said.
Rita told police the man demanded her car keys and threatened her life.
“He lifted the rock over my head to hit me, and I thought, 'Oh God, this is it,'” she said.
As she scrambled to find her keys, something else fell from her purse — a keychain given to her by her grandson.
“My little grandson’s cross he just gave me last week fell in my purse and told me I was going to love it, and I didn’t know how much I was going to love it,” Rita said.
The suspect drove off in Rita’s Nissan Rogue.
About 30 minutes later, police said the same suspect attempted to steal another Nissan Rogue at a gas station near Clarksville Pike and Old Hickory Boulevard. That’s where Sherry said she came face-to-face with the man when he tried to steal her Nissan Rogue.
“I said, 'You get out of my car right now, and you’re not stealing it!'” Sherry recalled.
A witness blocked the suspect’s path, forcing him to flee on foot. Sherry said the man later returned to retrieve a backpack, giving her a chance to snap a photo. She posted the image online — and that’s how the two women connected.
As they talked, they realized they shared more than the same suspect.
“She knew my brother and lives in the same neighborhood as my nephew, and of course, she has the same last name as my maiden name, but we’re no kin,” Sherry said.
The connection led the two to worship together on Sunday at Rita’s home church.
“The odds of him coming from my work to not even two blocks from my church — I was going to meet a new friend,” Rita said.
Rita’s car has not been recovered, but she said something meaningful came from the ordeal.
“Really, it left me for a minute. I was omg I got a new person to church, and God has blessed us through a bad situation that has turned out to be a blessing,” she said.
The Metro Nashville Police Department said they are still searching for the suspect. Rita’s case has been assigned to a robbery detective, and the investigation remains ongoing.
This story was reported on air by journalist Aaron Cantrell and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Aaron and our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy
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