Two men with a history of burglary and theft convictions are back behind bars thanks to the teamwork of a vigilant West Nashville resident and an off-duty detective sergeant.
Late Friday night, a man subsequently identified as Joseph Shane Whittaker was seen walking through yards on Newberry Street, Bresslyn Drive, and Georgetown Road. One resident watched as Whitaker went into the crawlspace of a Georgetown Road home and emerged with two chainsaws, which he placed into the back of a pickup truck that was cruising slowly through the area.
Off-duty Central Precinct Detective Sergeant Randy Brock lives nearby and got a call from a neighbor about the suspicious activity. Brock went outside, saw the truck driving by, got into his police car and made a traffic stop. The Georgetown Road resident came to the scene and confirmed that the chainsaws had indeed been stolen from his crawlspace.
Whittaker, 40, of Lennox Avenue, who has been convicted of burglary twice, felony theft six times, aggravated assault, and escape over the past 14 years, is once again charged with aggravated burglary. He is being held in lieu of $25,000 bond.
The driver of the pickup truck, Charles Shane Johnson, 34, of Stratford Avenue, has been convicted of aggravated burglary five times over the past 13 years. He was charged Friday night with felony theft, possession of burglary tools, possession of a prohibited weapon (a knife with an eight-inch blade), and driving on a suspended license. His bond is set at $8,500.
“It’s very clear that these convicted burglars have not learned their lessons and were intent on preying on West Nashville neighborhoods,” Chief Ronal Serpas said. “Sergeant Brock and one of his alert neighbors deserve a lot of credit for stopping these two suspects from continuing to victimize Nashville families.”
Whittaker and Johnson are scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
Charles Shane Johnson
Joseph Shane Whittaker
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