Oak Ridge Today

FBI: Even small tips could help catch extortion, kidnapping suspects

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FBI Press Conference Composite Sketches Extortion, Kidnapping

The Federal Bureau of Investigation in Knoxville on Wednesday released composite sketches of two subjects and one person of interest in alleged kidnappings and extortions involving Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge in April and SmartBank in Knoxville in July. Pictured above are FBI Knoxville Special Agent in Charge Edward Reinhold, center; Knox County Sheriff’s Office Major Michael MacLean, right; and Knoxville Police Department Deputy Chief Nate Allen. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

KNOXVILLE—Two men entered two different homes in kidnappings and extortions involving Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge in April and SmartBank in Knoxville in July, and a woman, possibly with an infant or a toddler, might have entered the first, officials said Wednesday.

A blue four-door car was spotted in the area of the second home about a week before the second incident, said Edward Reinhold, special agent in charge for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Knoxville.

It’s possible there could be a fourth person involved, and it’s not clear if the suspects are still in the area.

Reinhold said both men were wearing disguises. The woman was not, but she might have been wearing a wig and sunglasses. [Read more…]

FBI releases composite sketches in kidnappings, extortions at Y-12 FCU, SmartBank

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FBI Press Conference Composite Sketches Extortion, Kidnapping

The Federal Bureau of Investigation in Knoxville on Wednesday released composite sketches of two subjects and one person of interest in alleged kidnappings and extortions involving Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge in April and SmartBank in Knoxville in July. Pictured above are FBI Knoxville Special Agent in Charge Edward Reinhold, center; Knox County Sheriff’s Office Major Michael MacLean, right; and Knoxville Police Department Deputy Chief Nate Allen. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 2 p.m.

KNOXVILLE—The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday released composite sketches on two subjects and one person of interest in alleged kidnappings and extortions involving Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge in April and SmartBank in Knoxville in July.

See descriptions of the three below.

Here is the FBI press release:

[Read more…]

SUV hit by two vehicles, overturned in fatal crash on South Illinois

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South Illinois Avenue Crash on Aug. 24, 2015

The woman who died in a three-vehicle crash on South Illinois Avenue on Monday afternoon was a passenger in a Mazda sports utility vehicle that was hit by a southbound van that crossed into the northbound lanes, and the SUV was also struck by a northbound car, causing the SUV to roll, authorities said. 

 

The woman who died in a three-vehicle crash on South Illinois Avenue on Monday afternoon was a passenger in a Mazda sports utility vehicle that was hit by a southbound van that crossed into the northbound lanes, and the SUV was also struck by a northbound car, causing it to roll, authorities said.

The crash occurred at about 3:22 p.m. Monday, August 24.

The Oak Ridge Police Department determined that a Toyota van, driven by Marguerite Windham of Knoxville, was traveling south on South Illinois Avenue and crossed into the northbound lanes of travel for unknown reasons, a City of Oak Ridge press release said. [Read more…]

Updated: Preschool, SAB locked down after robbery reported at nearby medical office

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Oak Ridge Medical Clinic Robbery

A robbery was reported at Oak Ridge Medical Clinic on West Tennessee Avenue early Tuesday afternoon. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 4:50 p.m.

The Oak Ridge Preschool was temporarily locked down on Tuesday afternoon after a robbery was reported at a nearby medical office.

The robbery was reported at about 1:03 p.m. Tuesday at Oak Ridge Medical Clinic at 170 West Tennessee Avenue, on the north side of Methodist Medical Center and about a block away from the preschool. A woman reported that she was robbed of her purse and contents worth an estimated $300.

“The victim had parked her vehicle in the parking lot of the medical center, and as she was walking into the building, the suspect approached, violently grabbed her purse, and knocked her to the ground,” a City of Oak Ridge press release said.

The Oak Ridge police and fire departments and Anderson County EMS responded, and police set up a perimeter around the area. A canine unit was sent to help search for the suspect.

The Oak Ridge Police Department said the suspect fled on foot, running northbound through residential lots toward the Oak Ridge Preschool and School Administration Building at 304 New York Avenue.

[Read more…]

Knoxville woman dies after South Illinois Avenue crash

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South Illinois Avenue Crash on Aug. 24, 2015

A Knoxville woman died after a three-vehicle crash on South Illinois Avenue on Monday afternoon, authorities said.

 

A Knoxville woman died after a three-vehicle crash on South Illinois Avenue on Monday afternoon, authorities said.

Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi said more information could be released later today (Tuesday, August 25). The female’s husband has been informed of the fatality, Akagi said.

There were multiple injuries in the crash, which was near the Centrifuge Way interchange, and one person was flown by a UT Lifestar medical helicopter to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. [Read more…]

Thirteen people, eight vehicles involved in two crashes on Edgemoor Road

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Edgemoor Road Bridge Crash

One driver was possibly injured and cited for a failure to use due care after this three-vehicle crash on Edgemoor Road on Friday afternoon left one vehicle partially stuck on the concrete rail of the bridge over the Clinch River. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Thirteen people in eight vehicles were involved in two of the three crashes reported on Edgemoor Road on Thursday and Friday last week.

But only one person had possible injuries in those two crashes, according to Oak Ridge Police Department reports.

The first crash, a five-vehicle wreck, was reported on Edgemoor Road about two-tenths of a mile west of Lakeview Circle at about 5:39 p.m. Thursday, August 13. None of the 10 occupants of the five vehicles was injured, according to reports.

ORPD Officer Shane Tilley reported that a 1991 Chevrolet pickup driven west on Edgemoor Road, also known as State Route 170, by Jeremy P. Bentley, 46, of Knoxville, was unable to stop when traffic stopped in front of him.

Bentley then struck the rear of a 2014 Dodge pickup driven by Charles E. Dishman, 35, of Clinton, which in turn hit the rear of a 2012 Hyundai sedan driven by William M. Cunningham of Maryville. Cunningham’s sedan then hit the rear of a 2008 Nissan Altima driven by Chong Kim, 74, of Knoxville, which hit the rear of a 2009 Nissan Altima driven by Deena A. Chase, 48, of Knoxville. [Read more…]

FBI asks for public’s help catching suspects in kidnappings, extortions at two banks

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Ed Reinhold

Edward Reinhold, special agent in charge for FBI Knoxville, asks for the public’s help catching two suspects involved in two alleged kidnapping and extortion plots at banks in Oak Ridge and Knoxville. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

KNOXVILLE—The Federal Bureau of Investigation is asking for the public’s help in catching the suspects involved in the kidnappings and extortions involving Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge and SmartBank in Knoxville. The FBI is also working with bank employees to ensure they know what to do in the future and to be aware of their surroundings.

On Wednesday, the FBI announced a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to the identification and arrests of the suspects. They’ve released descriptions of two white male suspects.

“The only way we can prevent this from happening is to catch these guys,” said Edward Reinhold, special agent in charge at the FBI Knoxville. The FBI had a Thursday afternoon press conference at its Knoxville office on Dowell Springs Road.

Agents are asking members of the public who might know anything to step forward. [Read more…]

FBI offers reward up to $20,000 for info on kidnapping, extortion at Y-12 FCU, SmartBank

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Oak Ridge Police Department at Y-12 Federal Credit Union

Oak Ridge Police Department officers were at the Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge on Tuesday morning (April 28, 2015). The branch will remain closed Wednesday, although the credit union’s headquarters will be open. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 12:10 a.m.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to the identification and arrests of the suspects in the kidnappings and extortions involving Y-12 Federal Credit Union and SmartBank.

The FBI, Knoxville Police Department, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, and Oak Ridge Police Department are asking the public to help identify and locate the people responsible for the kidnappings and extortions.

The FBI said that on April 28, at approximately 8:15 a.m., a Y-12 Federal Credit Union employee and his family were kidnapped from their residence and held hostage at gunpoint.

While the family was held hostage, the employee was coerced to attempt to remove money from the Y-12 Federal Credit Union at 501 Lafayette Drive in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

ORPD officer, a former Vandy standout, terminated as statutory rape allegation investigated

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ORPD Cassen Garrison

Witnesses said ORPD Officer Cassen Garrison used his hands to break out a back window of an Emory Valley Center van and rescue a client from the back of it after a May 12, 2015, crash at Northwestern and North Purdue avenues. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9:25 a.m. Aug. 18.

A probationary Oak Ridge police officer who once played football for Vanderbilt University and the Kansas City Chiefs has been investigated, terminated, and will be prosecuted for allegations of statutory rape of a 16-year-old girl and other charges, authorities said Monday.

The victim’s stepfather, who was in custody at the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton, made an allegation that the officer, Cassen Jackson-Garrison, 30, had engaged in inappropriate contact with his stepdaughter, Anderson County District Attorney General Dave Clark said in a press release. The allegation was made to an Anderson County Sheriff’s Department deputy investigator at the jail.

Clark said Garrison was one of two officers who met the victim when he responded to the victim’s home in connection with a domestic violence complaint. The victim’s stepfather was arrested because of that complaint and remains jailed at the ACDF, Clark said. [Read more…]

ORPD in second day of Operation Safe Start, helping to keep schools safe

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Operation Safe Start at Oak Ridge Schools

Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi is pictured with a mother and daughter at Woodland Elementary School on Tuesday, August 5, 2015, during Operation Safe Start. (Photo by Oak Ridge Police Department) 

 

Oak Ridge students returned to school on Monday, August 3, and the Oak Ridge Police Department kicked off Operation Safe Start, an effort to keep schools zones safe during arrival and dismissal.

“It’s back to school time and ORPD reminds the community that when it comes to the safety of our youth, there can be no margin for error,” Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi said. “Motorists are urged to drive safely in all school zones, especially during arrival and dismissal times. The beginning of the school year is a time when there is a greater risk of transportation-related injuries to children.”

Operation Safe Start continued on Tuesday morning. Akagi said it includes participation from every division of the Police Department. [Read more…]

Warrants: Robbery suspect allegedly hit worker on head with gun before taking cash

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Kianna D. Hill

Kianna D. Hill

The two Georgia residents accused of robbing a check cashing store in Oak Ridge in June allegedly ordered employees to the rear of the store at gunpoint and demanded that a male manager open the safe, authorities said. When the manager didn’t move fast enough, authorities said, the male suspect allegedly hit the employee on the head several times with the handgun while the female suspect yelled at the male suspect, “Just shoot him!”

One of the two suspects, Kianna Denise Hill, 21, of East Point, Georgia, was brought to the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton on Friday. She faces three counts of aggravated robbery and one count of especially aggravated kidnapping.

The other suspect is Arvenzio Clyde Miles, 22, of Riverdale, Georgia. He apparently hasn’t been extradited yet; he is not listed as an inmate at the Anderson County jail.

Hill and Miles are accused in an armed robbery at Check Into Cash at 361 South Illinois Avenue at about 3:15 p.m. Friday, June 26. Authorities said the store was allegedly robbed by two suspects armed with handguns. Hill and Miles were arrested in East Point, Georgia, southwest of Atlanta, on Wednesday, July 8. [Read more…]

Edgemoor Road closed, Lifestar lands as rescuers work to save woman

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Oak Ridge Police Department Logo

Edgemoor Road was briefly closed and a University of Tennessee Lifestar medical helicopter landed at a boat launch after police and fire units responded to a reported shooting at Centennial Village Apartments in east Oak Ridge on Friday evening.

It wasn’t immediately clear to emergency workers whether the shooting was self-inflicted or whether there was a shooter involved, and they didn’t have information on where the weapon was located. But they were able to determine that the area was clear, and patrol officers concluded that it was an attempted suicide, Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi said Saturday.

Police recovered a firearm at the scene, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release on Monday.

The shooting was reported around 7:42 p.m. Friday behind a building on Waterview Drive, and a Lifestar helicopter landed at a boat launch across from the apartment complex a little after 8 p.m. [Read more…]