MEMPHIS, Tenn. — About 40 people were involved in multiple gas station burglaries that started on Saturday night, according to Memphis police. One of these incidents included a FedEx trailer tractor being broken into with multiple packages stolen from it, Memphis police said.
Officers said they got a report of a theft shortly after 8:30 p.m. from a semi-trailer at Riverport Road and West Mallory Avenue. Officers said they saw multiple vehicles leaving the area at high rates of speed, driving recklessly.
They also said they saw multiple boxes "all over the area" with various items thrown "all over the road."
The truck driver told police that he was at the Mallory and Riverport intersection when multiple cars blocked it. They said several men jumped into the back of his 53 foot FedEx trailer. He said a safety latch was broken with some kind of tool as the suspects began stealing multiple packages from the truck.
Then, around 3 a.m. on Sunday morning, officers said they received a call from the security at Breezy Point Apartments saying that three men were detained there. Security told police that the apartment was "on lock down" and they noticed the men sitting in a white Chevrolet.
Security was able to ask the men to identify themselves after security noticed the smell of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle, they said. The security members identified these men as the suspects who broke into the FedEx truck.
One suspect reportedly told the police officer that he found the items he had "at the end of a slide show" and that these items were left in the street where he said he picked them up.
The items were four kicker speakers, a vehicle headlight, a 14-piece pot and pan set, a cardboard box of air lines and three direct cable boxes. These items were tagged at 201 Poplar, these three men have been detained and this all remains an ongoing investigation, according to MPD.
As Sunday began, an officer responded to a vandalism call at a gas station on Third St. near Brooks Rd., according to MPD. The victim told police that 40 suspects had come into the business and stole items. He said one person pointed a rifle at him.
The victim said this person was wearing a black Nike ski mask and black pullover hoodie with blue jeans and a black bag wrap around his chest.
Officers said they saw about 30 suspects leaving the business at a high rate of speed both northbound and southbound on South Third Street once they arrived.
One officer said that a suspect who is responsible for an aggravated assault against the victim would be in the passenger seat of a newer model Mitsubishi Outlander that is white. The officer said the driver is a woman wearing a black pullover, a green T-shirt, black tights and black slide shoes.
The victim told police that $9,000 worth of damage took place and $15,000 worth of merchandise was taken from the business.
An officer reportedly was able to get video footage of the incident along with multiple still shot photos of the suspects involved, including their vehicles.
Additionally, at around 10:30 on Saturday night officers reportedly responded to shoplifting at 3483 Airways Boulevard. Police said a complainant said 30-40 suspects entered the business and grabbed various merchandise, running out of the store.
This person told police that $2,000 worth of items was taken.