MT. JULIET, Tenn. (WKRN) — A simple traffic violation in Mt. Juliet led to the apprehension of three “traveling thieves” accused of stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of items, according to officials.
The Mt. Juliet Police Department posted about the incident shortly after 5:15 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 2, saying the suspects “thought they had a clean getaway after stealing $7,000 worth of sporting goods—until they caught an officer’s attention at Academy Sports for suspicious behavior, likely scouting their next target.”
Authorities said failure to use a turn signal resulted in a traffic stop, during which time officers found baseball bats and pickleball rackets stolen from Dick’s Sporting Goods. However, the theft was so recent that the store was reportedly unaware of it.
The suspects — described by law enforcement as a 24-year-old man, a 42-year-old man, a and 43-year-old woman from Chicago — were arrested and booked into the Wilson County Jail.
“Thanks to proactive policing, the stolen merchandise was returned, and these suspects will now be held accountable for their crimes,” the MJPD stated.
No additional details have been released about this incident, including the names of the people who were taken into custody or the charges they face.
