A Memphis man who agreed to fix a woman's 2015 Nissan Altima says the favor turned into a nightmare — he was struck in the head with a handgun, forced into his own room and robbed of $900, a PlayStation and his cell phone before the group fled. Five people now face charges in the case, and all were scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
Officers responded Nov. 3 to a robbery in the 2900 block of Airways Boulevard, according to WREG. The victim told police he had arranged to meet a woman, later identified as Zakeria Winston, at an apartment complex so he could work on her car. Instead, police say, a man walked up and struck him in the head with a handgun, and Winston and three other men then ran up and told him to go to his room.
Suspects Fled With Cash, Console and Phone
The victim told police he was robbed by four men and a woman, and that the group took $900, a PlayStation and his cell phone from his room before fleeing the scene, per the report. Surveillance video reviewed by investigators showed a parked Mercedes-Benz and a Nissan Altima, with three men getting out of the vehicle and forcing the victim into his room — the footage reportedly showed the group entering and later leaving. Three suspects got back into the Mercedes-Benz, while Winston and another man got into the Nissan and drove off, according to the same account.
Traffic Stop Leads to First Arrests
Officers said the vehicles were later tracked to the Austin Peay area and spotted in the 4500 block of Cedar. The Tennessee Highway Patrol conducted a traffic stop on the Nissan, where officers identified Winston and her brother, Malik Williams, and seized a handgun from the vehicle before taking both into custody, the outlet reported. Williams admitted to having marijuana and a handgun in the Nissan, while Winston told police she was at the scene during the incident.
Second Arrest Scene on Otter Drive
Investigators reportedly saw the Mercedes-Benz pull into a residence in the 4000 block of Otter Drive, where three men went inside. Officers said Alexander Ndon-Blue, Corderro Wright and Geno Elion were taken into custody at that address. Wright and Elion each admitted to police that they were in the Mercedes during the incident, while Ndon-Blue refused to give a statement, according to the report.
Police said they seized a PlayStation and two handguns from the Mercedes, and later recovered a firearm and more than 100 rounds of ammunition from the Cedar residence. The weapons and electronics seizures span both arrest locations described in the investigation.
Charges and Bond
Williams, 20, was charged with aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping, marijuana possession, and tampering with or fabricating evidence. Winston, 28, was charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping, and her bond was set at $100,000. Ndon-Blue, 22, faces two counts of aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping and marijuana possession, while Wright, 19, and Elion, 22, were each charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and two counts of aggravated kidnapping.
The case echoes another string of Memphis robberies the station previously covered, in which three men were accused of robbing seven different people of cash, phones, wallets and car keys at gunpoint, including four victims held up on Mar. 12 by two unknown males, according to a separate WREG report. All five suspects in the Airways Boulevard case were scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
