A 21-year-old man is facing charges in connection with an armed robbery at a smoke shop on Murfreesboro Pike in Nashville, a case that has had police and shop owners on edge amid a run of vape and smoke store crimes.
Metro police said the man was charged on Wednesday, but his name and bond information have not yet been released as investigators continue to sort through the details of the hold-up.
According to WKRN, the suspect is facing an armed robbery charge tied to the Murfreesboro Pike incident. The station reported that it was not immediately clear whether anyone was hurt or what additional booking information might show.
Police Had Already Put Out the Call
Before this arrest, the Metro Nashville Police Department had gone public with a request for help identifying a gunman wanted in two robberies at vape and smoke shops earlier this year, including one on Murfreesboro Pike. That earlier bulletin featured surveillance images and a Crime Stoppers tip line, and it underscored detectives’ concern about a pattern of similar holdups in the area, according to the department’s release. Metro Nashville Police Department
Shop Owners Say They Are on Edge
Business owners across the region say the numbers tell the story: smash-and-grab break-ins and robberies at vape and smoke shops have been stacking up in recent months. One Antioch shop owner told WSMV he was out more than $15,000 after thieves shattered his storefront during an early-morning hit in March, a loss that left him worried about repeat visits and the strain on already stretched patrols.
What Happens Next in the Case
Prosecutors are now expected to review the evidence and move the case into the county criminal court system. For the moment, the 21-year-old is charged with armed robbery in the Murfreesboro Pike smoke shop case, according to WKRN. Court dates and any potential additional charges have not been made public.
Police are still asking for the public’s help. Anyone with information about the Murfreesboro Pike robbery is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463 or contact Metro Nashville Police directly, a request that the department repeated in its earlier public appeal about the string of vape store robberies. Metro Nashville Police Department
