In Murfreesboro, TN, a recent graffiti spree came to an end with an arrest made possible by the skillful application of crime data analysis. According to a social media post from the Murfreesboro Police Department, a series of vandalism acts featuring tags such as "Dope," "Doper," “South,” and "AAB Crew" scrawled across public and private properties were methodically traced and linked to one individual.
As the spray-paint settled, it was the Crime Analysis Unit analysts who made the crucial connection. They developed a timeline of the crimes, allowing law enforcement to pinpoint the most probable times for the vandal's next appearance. Stationed in the W. Northfield Boulevard and MTCS Road area, the officers and detectives waited. It wasn't long before 19-year-old Joshua Wiley Hearnes emerged, allegedly heading for his next canvas. Hearnes was detained and, following the investigation, charged with vandalism over $1,000.00.
Detectives have since dismissed the notion that the tags were gang-related. After his arrest, Hearnes was released on a $5,000 bond from the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center, with a hearing slated for June 16 in General Sessions Court.
