Memphis has seen its share of bizarre crime stories, but the recent case of two brothers crashing through a ceiling and taking their neighbors hostage is one that residents will be talking about for some time. According to Action News 5, 19-year-old Anthony Gaines and his brother Antwon Gaines have been arrested following a dramatic confrontation with police that began with the duo attempting to avoid capture by traversing through attic spaces.
The escapade started on the morning of August 19, said by Action News 5, when Memphis Police Department officers were executing a warrant pick up at a residence on Flowering Peach Drive, where the brothers were alleged to have committed aggravated assault and robbery. At the sighting of police, the pair ran upstairs and made an ill-fated attempt to escape through their neighbor's attic, resulting in them falling through the ceiling. Holding the startled residents hostage, the brothers demanded silence and obedience, with Antwon reportedly wielding a knife.
As reported by WREG, the neighbors were ordered not to open the door or make any attempt to alert authorities. Fortunately, they found an opportune moment to flee and inform the police when the brothers were momentarily distracted. The fugitives' diversion, a back window, unintentionally became their downfall.
Officers later uncovered a Smith & Wesson M&P and two pots of marijuana plants in the backyard, indicated by the mother of the men to belong to her sons. In a statement given to FOX13 Memphis, it was revealed that "She told police that the items didn't belong to her but belonged to her sons." Court records also showed that the brothers now face charges including aggravated kidnapping, aggravated burglary, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
The Gaines brothers are expected to appear in court today, with no bond set as of the latest reports.
