NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Two people — including a teenage girl with outstanding warrants — are behind bars following an overnight police pursuit and car crash in Nashville.
The Metro Nashville Police Department said 18-year-old Aliecia McKnight — who was wanted on outstanding auto burglary and gun theft warrants related to her May 6 arrest for joyriding in a stolen Kia, as well as other cases — was taken into custody around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 12 as the result of alert police work by Hermitage Precinct patrol officers.
It all started when police were patrolling hotel parking lots in the Elm Hill Pike area overnight because of a recent rash of vehicle break-ins. Officers said they spotted a 2017 black Nissan Altima with a temporary tag slowly traveling through a parking lot, so they followed the car as it left the lot and went onto Briley Parkway.
When authorities tried to stop the Nissan, they said it drove off at a high rate of speed before wrecking on the Hickory Hollow exit from Interstate 24. McKnight and 20-year-old Charles Hildreth allegedly ran away from the scene, but they were both caught.
According to officials, not only had the Nissan been reported stolen in Murfreesboro, but two handguns — one of which was was stolen from Dickson County — were recovered at the scene.
In addition to the outstanding warrants, police said McKnight has been charged with vehicle theft, theft of a firearm, and evading arrest in connection with Saturday’s incident. She is being held on a $198,000 bond.
This news comes after McKnight was arrested in March for auto theft, two counts of gun theft, gun possession in the commission of a dangerous felony, and felony drug possession, authorities reported.
Meanwhile, Hildreth has been charged with theft of a firearm, theft of a vehicle, and evading arrest, officials said. He is being held on $51,000 bond.