MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Police have released a video of a man in a red vehicle who tried to rob two teens Thursday morning in the Cooper-Young area.
Investigators say the juveniles were walking in the area of Young Avenue and Blythe around 6:30 a.m. when they were approached by the man who asked for some gas money and then demanded to see their wallets and what was in their pockets or he would hurt them.
The mother of the victims said her teens were walking to the bus stop when the man tried to rob them. She told WREG that the suspect got out of his car, tried to fight her son, and asked for his wallet.
She said the man told her children to “hold” on and “just wait” and returned to his car. She said that’s when her kids ran because they were afraid he was going for a gun.
According to the Memphis Data Hub numbers, so far this year, 81 crimes have been reported within a quarter-mile of the intersection where the man tried to rob the teens. That compares to 41 crimes reported over the same period last year.
Among the crimes reported in 2023 were seven assaults, six robberies, 12 thefts of vehicles, 13 thefts of property, and 12 property crimes.
If you recognize the car or the driver, call CrimeStoppers at (901)-528-CASH.
