A spate of battery thefts at Memphis auto stores has led to the arrest of a suspect, the Memphis Police Department announced in a social media post. The culprit, identified as 41-year-old Fred Taylor, was caught after a series of burglaries targeting AutoZone and O’Reilly’s auto parts stores, where a total of 34 car batteries, collectively worth almost $8,000, were stolen over the past month.
The arrest follows three separate incidents; the first on February 28 at AutoZone at 4394 Summer Avenue where 13 batteries were taken, the second at the same O’Reilly’s at 1049 Frayser Boulevard on March 11 where 10 batteries were stolen, and an earlier event on February 12 at O’Reilly’s that lost 11 batteries to the same suspect in these thefts, the suspect was described as a male in work clothes and a face mask, he drove a distinctive silver Infiniti M35 with mismatched panels and was eventually apprehended thanks to a joint effort by the Memphis Police and the Tennessee Highway Patrol Aviation Unit.
An attempted traffic stop led to a high-speed chase after the suspect vehicle was spotted by the Austin Peay Task Force, although the immediate pursuit was called off for safety reasons. The THP aviation was instrumental in tracking the vehicle until it could be safely intercepted, leading to Taylor’s arrest in the 2200 block of East Holmes without further incident.
Taylor now faces multiple charges including Burglary to a Business, Theft of Property $2,500-$10,000, Evading Arrest in a Vehicle, and Reckless Driving, his arrest marks the culmination of persistent surveillance and investigative work by Memphis law enforcement agencies determined to halt the string of audacious thefts that stirred concerns among local business owners.
