The Mt. Juliet Police Department announced the arrest of a teen wanted for violent crimes out of Rutherford County Monday night. 18-year-old Santos Velasquez, 18, of Nashville, was apprehended following what police called “a dangerous incident” that started with an attempted traffic stop on Interstate 40. At roughly 5 p.m., Velasquez sideswiped a truck and trailer, causing his vehicle to crash into the grass median near mile marker 227. As officers responded to the crash, Velasquez reportedly threatened a bystander with a knife as he ran through a parking lot on Belinda Parkway. Officers were ultimately able to apprehend Velasquez after a foot chase. They added that a 16-year-old Gallatin passenger was found unharmed inside the crashed vehicle and that she cooperated with officers.
A Wilson County teacher and her family lost everything they owned in a house fire last week. Chris and Jessica Lewis say the fire is believed to have been caused by an electrical issue and started after their daughter reloaded their dryer Thursday morning. Everyone was home at the time because of fall break, but thankfully they all managed to escape safely with their pets. A GoFundMe has been set up to support the Lewis family
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public about a new phone scam targeting residents. It consists of someone claiming to have your personal internet browsing history. Then, the scammer claims that they have “accessed your camera in your phone and have downloaded pornographic images of you.” The sheriff’s office added that the scammer threatens victims by telling them they would send the images to everyone on their contact list if money isn’t sent within 24 hours. If you are ever in doubt about a call, Sheriff Farris advises that you hang up and call the sheriff’s office.
