MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — Two teenagers have been arrested and a third faces juvenile petitions after investigators linked them to two smash-and-grab burglaries that resulted in the theft of dozens of firearms from Murfreesboro businesses, according to the Murfreesboro Police Department.
Police said crime data analysts used automatic license plate reader (ALPR) technology to help identify the suspects. The investigation also involved assistance from the Metro Nashville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
A 17-year-old was arrested in Davidson County on Monday, June 1. He faces 40 felony charges, including 36 counts of theft of a firearm, burglary, theft over $10,000, theft over $2,500 and vandalism over $10,000.
A 15-year-old surrendered to Murfreesboro police on Tuesday, June 2. He faces the same charges, along with additional charges related to another burglary.
Detectives have also secured juvenile petitions for a second 15-year-old, who is currently being held at the Davidson County Juvenile Detention Center on unrelated charges.
According to police, the teens were among several people who allegedly used a stolen Kia Sol to ram through the side door of Mid Tenn's Pawn & Loan on Northwest Broad Street around 3:30 a.m. on June 1. Officers found several broken display cases and about three dozen firearms missing. Surveillance video showed seven people participating in the burglary.
Investigators said analysts with the department's Real Time Crime Center reviewed private ALPR video from a Nashville condominium complex, where they spotted a Honda CR-V circling the parking lot before two Kias were stolen. A license plate associated with the Honda led investigators to one of the teens' homes, where several of the stolen firearms were recovered.
The 15-year-old who surrendered is also accused in a similar burglary at Black Frog Arms & Range on North Thompson Lane on May 2. Police said burglars used a stolen Kia Sol to crash through the front doors before stealing multiple firearms. He faces 26 additional felony charges in that case.
Property Crimes detectives continue to investigate both burglaries and are working to identify the remaining suspects.
The 17-year-old and 15-year-old were booked into the Rutherford County Juvenile Detention Center. Following detention hearings on June 3, both were ordered to remain in custody until their next court hearing on Sept. 21.
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