Background: The Citgo located at 701 Dickerson Pike in Nashville, Tennessee, and the area behind it, where the alleged kidnappings took place (Google Maps). Inset: Jericco McFarland (Metropolitan Nashville Police Department).
A man in Nashville, Tennessee, allegedly held two victims at gunpoint and forced them into the trunk of a car behind a gas station so he could rob them.
Police said one of the men was able to call 911 while in the trunk, helping lead to the capture of 41-year-old Jericco McFarland. The suspect was arrested on Tuesday and charged with two counts of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of aggravated robbery, and being a felon in possession of a gun.
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On Nov. 16 at about 4:45 p.m., two men were outside the Citgo gas station at 701 Dickerson Pike in the city, according to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. At some point, the men "were placed in the trunk of a white Ford Fusion at gunpoint."
McFarland also fired multiple shots before forcing the men — ages 18 and 26 — into the car, local NBC affiliate WSMV reported. Court documents stated one bullet "struck/grazed the victim on the left leg near his ankle and continued down through the top and out the back of his tennis shoe."
As one of the men was calling 911, McFarland drove about 1 mile to Lischey Avenue, where he stopped the car and opened the trunk. Only this time, he wasn't alone.
The suspect was reportedly with another gunman, and the pair "hit both victims" with their pistols. They also took multiple items from the victims, including a necklace and one of the men's pants.
Officers were able to track the victims' location through the phone call. They converged on the vehicle as both gunmen ran away. The victims were still inside the trunk, injured but rescued.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said officers were able to acquire video of the alleged attack, and both victims identified McFarland as their kidnapper through a photo lineup. The other gunman has not been identified.
The incident did not appear to be random, authorities said.
Detectives spotted McFarland on Tuesday in a grocery store parking lot, and they arrested him and allegedly found a loaded revolver inside the vehicle he was driving at the time. McFarland, who authorities noted was an ex-convict for drug offenses, was jailed on a $202,500 bond.