What started as a quiet Thursday afternoon at a Hermitage shopping center turned into a rapid police manhunt after a bank robbery suspect bolted into the woods behind the stores, according to WSMV.
Metro Nashville Police say 44-year-old Charles Suiters walked into a Chase branch next to Crumbl Cookies around 4:15 p.m. and slipped a teller a written demand note. When the teller complied, Suiters allegedly took the money and headed straight for the tree line behind the nearby shopping center.
Officers quickly swarmed the area, locking down the surrounding streets and combing the woods. A short time later, police spotted Suiters outside a nearby apartment complex and took him into custody without further incident, according to WSMV. He was charged with robbery, and his bond was set at $25,000.
Suspect previously in local court records
Public records show a man named Charles Suiters with multiple prior case numbers in Davidson County, according to the Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk. The online dockets list several closed matters and earlier convictions or dismissals. Those records do not include the outcome of this latest arrest, only the charges that have been filed and their public dispositions to date.
Hermitage has seen similar robberies
The Hermitage retail corridor along Old Hickory Boulevard is no stranger to bank trouble. In 2018, a holdup at a U.S. Bank branch inside a Kroger on the strip was detailed by NewsChannel 5. More recently, WSMV reported on a December 2024 robbery at a Fifth Third Bank branch in the same general area, a case that left Metro police asking the public for help in finding a suspect and coordinating with Crime Stoppers for tips.
Legal note
Under Tennessee law, robbery is defined as “the intentional or knowing theft of property from the person of another by violence or putting the person in fear” and is classified as a Class C felony. Aggravating factors, such as the use of a weapon or causing serious bodily injury, can raise the charge to aggravated or especially aggravated robbery, which carry significantly harsher penalties. The full statutory language is outlined in Tennessee Code §39-13-401.
