MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Two men were caught by Memphis police after a group of men were reportedly stealing 30 television sets from a train early Friday morning, according to the Memphis Police Department (MPD).
The 65-inch Samsung TVs were valued at $500 a piece and found stacked up along a fence line, according to MPD. Seven CSX box cars in total were found to have been burglarized, according to MPD.
Officers said that they responded to a "prowler in progress" call at Farmville Road and Jackson Avenue at around 2 a.m. on Friday. Police said they were told that six or seven men occupying several cars were breaking into box cars on the CSX Railroad property.
Officers said that once they made the scene, they saw several suspects hauling television sets through a large hole cut in the fence along the CSX property east on Farmville Road towards Jackson Avenue.
Some of these suspects drove away in multiple vehicles, but two men were found inside the fence who were running along the railyard, according to MPD. Additionally, an unoccupied Ford Edge was left behind on the scene.
Officers then deployed "stop sticks" on two vehicles that were driving away from the scene, moving from Farmville before they reached Jackson Avenue.
Officers said that they checked the area and saw a small dark-colored pickup turning onto Kippley Street from Coleman Avenue, hauling the television sets.
An officer then activated his blue lights and the front passenger of the pickup truck then ran away from the still-moving truck, according to MPD.
This man was later identified as James Gates and was taken into custody in the 900 block of Pope Street, according to MPD.
Another man was taken into custody on Chelsea Avenue near Ellington Street after exiting from under the box car, according to MPD. This man was identified as Demarcus Anderson, according to MPD.
Gates, 37, was charged with seven counts of burglary of a building, evading arrest, resisting official detention and theft of merchandise worth $10,000 to $60,000, according to MPD.
Anderson, 39, was charged with seven counts of burglary of a building, evading arrest, and theft of merchandise worth $10,000 to $60,000.
This is an ongoing investigation, and additional suspects remain at large, according to MPD.
Police encourage anyone with additional information related to this incident to call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-2274 (CASH) with tips.
