MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WGNS) - Murfreesboro Police Department (MPD) officers worked with the Smyrna Police Department (SPD) over the weekend to arrest a 17-year-old suspect involved in a strong-armed robbery. Authorities took the teenager into custody in Smyrna and charged him with robbery, criminal simulation, and identity theft.

MPD officers responded to a robbery call on the 1600 block of Center Pointe Drive at 8:17 a.m. on Saturday (September 19th). A woman had arranged to sell jewelry to the teenager, but the meeting turned dangerous when the suspect handed over counterfeit money and snatched the jewelry from her hands. As the victim tried to get her property back, the teenager allegedly hit her with his car as he drove away. The victim did not suffer serious injuries.

Crime data analysts at the Real-Time Crime Center used automatic license plate readers and public safety cameras to trace the getaway vehicle to Smyrna. SPD and MPD officers recovered most of the stolen jewelry, roughly $1,000 in counterfeit currency, and a fake Illinois driver's license.

MPD officers transported the 17-year-old to the Rutherford County Juvenile Detention Center. Following the incident, police remind local residents to use safe areas for online sales transactions, such as the monitored Safe Exchange Zone in the front parking lot of the MPD building.

DISCLAIMER: The charges and allegations referenced in this story are merely accusations of criminal conduct and not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.