A late-night market robbery that started with a single shot into the air ended with four arrests, thousands in cash seized, and two Nashville homes searched, according to Metro police.
Detectives said an armed suspect stole thousands of dollars in cash from a Foster Avenue market Wednesday night, fired one round into the air, and took off in a getaway SUV. Surveillance video from the store helped investigators zero in on a fleeing vehicle, which officers later found on Harding Place.
Per WSMV, detectives from MNPD’s Violent Crimes Division responded after an employee reported that a suspect demanded cash and fired a shot. Store cameras pointed them to a Nissan Rogue that had sped away from the scene, and officers later spotted that same SUV on Harding Place and initiated a traffic stop.
How police tracked the vehicle
An MNPD aviation crew monitored the Rogue as the stop unfolded, following the SUV from above when the driver and a passenger bailed out and ran, police said. Both were quickly detained nearby, and a third occupant was taken into custody at the traffic stop itself. The three men connected to the vehicle were identified by police as Jose Luis Martinez, 54; Luis Martinez‑Martinez, 34; and Rigoberto Martinez, 32. Along the route where officers say the suspects fled, they recovered a loaded handgun and cash believed to be from the Foster Avenue market, according to public briefings and social posts by the Metro Nashville PD.
Searches yield weapons, drugs and cash
Investigators then obtained a search warrant for Martinez‑Martinez’s apartment on Harding Place, where they reported finding a shotgun, fentanyl, and more than $15,000 in cash. A follow‑up search at a Keeley Drive residence turned up methamphetamine, marijuana, and cocaine, and the home’s occupant, Ruben Perez Comacho, 33, was arrested and charged with three counts of drug possession, according to WSMV.
Legal fallout
The three men linked to the Rogue were each charged with one count of aggravated robbery and are being held on $80,000 bonds. Investigators say they expect additional charges as they work to connect the suspects to multiple recent commercial robberies in the area. Metro Nashville police have asked anyone with video or tips to contact MNPD’s Violent Crimes Division as the investigation continues. Booking photos and court dates had not been released as of the latest update from the department, and the Metro Nashville PD remains in charge of the case.
