19-year-old Jermiaha Smith was seen driving under the influence at an intersection of Gallatin Pike South and Hickory Street on August 31st. Officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle at the intersection after they observed a black truck driving with its headlights and taillights off at night. Upon approaching the vehicle, officers observed a 1-year-old child in the vehicle’s backseat. Officers then made contact with Smith and noticed she was smoking a tobacco product. When asked, Smith claimed to officers that she was not smoking marijuana but later admitted that about an hour and 45 minutes prior, she had smoked marijuana. Officers also noticed a bag of marijuana in plain sight in the center console that Smith informed officers was hers. Smith was then asked to step out of the vehicle and perform sobriety tests, which she accepted. However, she performed poorly on all tests given and showed numerous indicators of impairment. Officers then searched her vehicle, and the search yielded 20 grams of marijuana that were inside her vehicle. Smith was deemed to be intoxicated, and she was then taken into custody for driving under the influence with a child and possession of a controlled substance on September 1st.
Day: September 4, 2024
DUI: Hugh Lott sits in passenger seat & tells police he was not driving after crashing car on I-24 East
42-year-old Hugh Lott had a single-vehicle accident on I-24 East Mile Marker 62.2 in the early hours of September 1st. Officers noticed Lott’s vehicle was still running and was pinned against the left shoulder’s concrete barrier when they arrived. When they approached the car, they observed Lott sitting in the passenger seat, showing signs of impairment. Lott told officers he did not know what had happened and that he was not driving. Despite this, responding officers did not see anyone fleeing the crash. Lott further claimed that he had no idea who was driving, where the driver had gone, or how he ended up where he was at.
Then, Lott told the police that he was coming from Darts and was intoxicated. During their interaction, Lott stumbled and spoke with slurred speech. Officers asked Lott why he was driving a dealership vehicle, to which he said his car was in the shop. Due to no evidence of anyone in the vehicle and officers finding the keys in Lott’s pocket, they detained him. Police later discovered that Lott had a prior DUI conviction and that his driver’s license had been revoked. Lott refused to provide a chemical sample after being informed of implied consent and was transported to Nashville General Hospital for a blood draw. Lott was taken into custody for driving under the influence-2nd offense, driving with a revoked license, and an implied consent violation.
Matthew Ricciardi jailed after stealing $10,000 worth of jewelry from woman while packing her belongings
32-year-old Matthew Ricciardi was caught stealing jewelry from Jodi Eastgate at her Murphy Road residence on June 4th, 2020. In a written statement to his employer at Two Men and a Truck, one of the male employees hired to pack Eastgate’s property wrote that he heard Eastgate mention that she had some jewelry missing while they were packing boxes. The same employee wrote that he had witnessed Ricciardi walk from their U-Haul truck to his personal vehicle with a white trash bag. He then stated that Ricciardi showed off jewelry and coach purses that were in the bag.
The employee saw opened moving boxes and a jewelry box on the floor of the truck. There is video evidence of Ricciardi walking to his vehicle with the bag of stolen jewelry. After getting into his car, Ricciardi drove to another area of the lot, where other employees gathered around his car. Eastgate reported that she had more than $10,000 worth of jewelry stolen during the move. On June 10th, 2020, Ricciardi was terminated from his job as a mover for Two Men and a Truck for his involvement in the theft. In a handwritten statement for his termination paperwork, Ricciardi wrote, “bought stolen purses.” Ricciardi was later taken into custody and charged with theft of property four years later, on September 2nd, 2024.
Riausha Phillips jailed for involvement in $9,000 burglary of man’s apartment
24-year-old Riausha Phillips was identified as one of the people who burglarized Kenneth Beard Jr.’s Bridgeway Circle apartment on January 30th, 2019. Beard Jr. filed a police report stating that when he returned to his house, he discovered his front door was unlocked, and his bedroom window had been left open. Beard Jr. said that one of his shoes was left outside on the ground near the opened window, his apartment had been ransacked, and the people responsible had taken over $9,000 worth of property. He named his ex-girlfriend, Camari Pullian, and her friends as people who may have been involved.
On the day of the burglary, Beard Jr. had scheduled maintenance with the apartment staff. Then, a staff member, Agustin Morrell, responded to Beard Jr.’s unit to perform the requested service. Morrell stated that he observed three people in the area of Beard Jr.’s front door, one of whom was attempting to open the door. When the group noticed him approaching Beard Jr.’s unit, they walked away. Morrell added that he saw them standing on Beard Jr.’s patio before leaving. He added that he did not think anything of it at the time. When officers met with Morrell, they presented him with two photo lineups, and he identified Phillips as one of the people involved. He added that the person trying to open Beard Jr.’s door had a hoodie covering up their face, so he could not get a good look at them.
Then, Beard Jr. found several pairs of his stolen shoes being sold on OfferUp, so he researched the person selling them and found they were friends with Pullian. The listings were posted three hours after he reported the burglary. Beard Jr. met with Morrell and showed him the profile picture of the OfferUp profile. Morrell recognized the person as one of the people who were in front of Beard Jr.’s apartment door. Then, Beard Jr. had his friends arrange a meeting with Phillips via the OfferUp app to purchase the shoes. They met at the Charlotte Pike Walgreens parking lot. Beard Jr. saw Pullian driving Phillips to meet his friends and confronted them, asking Pullian, “Why did you break into my house?” Pullian did not answer, but she told him his stuff was inside her vehicle. When officers arrived, they spoke with Phillips and Pullian, who denied breaking into Beard Jr.’s apartment. They stated that “Anthony” had called them, telling them he had just broken into someone’s house. They also claimed that “Anthony” instructed them to sell the stolen property for him and that they would receive payments afterward. A warrant was issued for Phillips’ arrest on February 4th, 2019. Phillips was later taken into custody for aggravated burglary on August 30th, 2024.
Yute Sung punches woman in face multiple times during argument
70-year-old Yute Sung was involved in a domestic altercation with Ly Chin at a residence on Moss Creek Court on August 30th. Once officers arrived, they saw Chin bleeding from her nose and that she had a bump on the side of her head. Chin claimed that she received those injuries from Sung punching her multiple times. Chin told officers that he started during an argument with Sung over a lost ring. When officers made contact with Sung, he admitted that he hit Chin. Sung stated that he hit her because of the argument that they were having. Sung was then taken into custody and charged with domestic assault.
Andnevin Huff passes out in truck, tells police if he did breathalyzer tests it would “show crazy numbers”
32-year-old Andnevin Huff was seen passed out in a white pickup truck near the intersection of Fatherland and South 6th Street on August 31st. Once officers made contact with Huff, they reported that he was not responding but that he was still breathing. While being checked out by medics, Huff refused any medical attention, so he spoke with officers. Huff told officers that he had been drinking, which was backed up by his mannerisms and slurred speech. When Huff was read his Miranda Rights, he made several statements about drinking with a woman who lived nearby. When Huff was asked about taking a blood test, he told officers that if he did do the test, it would “show crazy numbers.” After being read implied consent, Huff refused to take any chemical tests. While Huff was being taken into custody, medics advised that they had found a handgun under Huff’s seat. Huff was then transported to booking and charged with implied consent violation, driving under the influence, and possession of a firearm while under the influence.
Spencer (Samuel) Barnhill jailed after stealing bike from Vanderbilt University Residential Hall
On August 31st, at 6:11 a.m., 27-year-old Spencer (Samuel) Barnhill was seen stealing an electric scooter from the Morgan House Residential Hall on the Vanderbilt University campus. Campus surveillance footage showed Barnhill using Fiskars branded bolt cutters to cut a cable lock off the scooter and then steal it. Barnhill then left the bolt cutter at the scene of the crime. Through investigation, officers found that Barnhill was homeless, and his prints matched the ones on the bolt cutter. Barnhill was later found at the intersection of Blakemore and 23rd Avenue South riding a bicycle that morning and carrying a long set of bolt cutters.
On September 2nd, officers were dispatched to the Vanderbilt Stevenson Center for a person who was possibly intoxicated. When officers arrived, they located Barnhill leaning over his knees with his head on the ground. It was then found that Barnhill had outstanding warrants out of Hickman County. Barnhill was then taken into custody for 2 counts of criminal trespassing and possession of burglary tools.
Marissa Godorov “goes crazy” on ex-boyfriend after breaking up with him at The Doubletree Hotel
36-year-old Marissa Godorov had a domestic altercation with her boyfriend, Clay Biran Meyer, at The Doubletree Hotel on 4th Avenue North in the early hours of September 1st. Before officers arrived, dispatch advised them that Godorov called the front desk, stating that her Meyer had just hit her, and she was scared. When the police arrived, they spoke with the hotel staff. They stated that Godorov had come up to the desk, telling them she did not want officers involved because she feared that Meyer would hurt her. Then, officers spoke with Godorov, who said that she and Meyer were downtown after she had broken up with him the day before. She added that he had gotten too drunk again. She went into detail, stating that once they returned to the hotel, they started arguing about Meyer’s drinking habits and their relationship issues.
Godorov further explained that Meyer started recording her. She attempted to take his phone from him, which led to him pushing her off the bed. Then, when the police spoke with Meyer, he told them that when he and Godorov returned to the hotel, she started “going crazy on him.” Meyer stated that he started recording her because he was scared that she would call the police and he would get arrested based on her story. Officers reviewed the footage, which showed Godorov yelling at Meyer before striking him in the back of his head. Officers also noticed fresh nail marks on Meyer’s right arm. Godorov was deemed the primary aggressor and was taken into custody for domestic assault.
James Hayes smashes father’s head into brick wall after parents get order of protection against him
53-year-old James Hayes was caught after assaulting his father, William Hayes, on September 1st. When officers arrived, James had locked William’s wife outside. William’s wife and witnesses stated they could see James assaulting William through the window, including throwing him into the wall and dragging him across the floor. This all happened during a domestic-related break-in and an active assault. William’s wife had called the officers, stating that James had forced his way into their home. She stated that James began assaulting William after he told him they had an order of protection against him for a previous incident in August.
Afterward, the officers proceeded to knock on the door and announce themselves. James then came to the door with William’s blood on his shirt and temple. James claimed he lived at the residence, but William denied that, telling officers there was no record of James being tied to the home. Officers then ordered James to exit the house, but he refused to comply with their commands. Officers then attempted to place him in handcuffs. Still, James continued to resist, pulling away and actively struggling against their efforts to restrain him. After he was apprehended, it was discovered that William had severe cuts on his arms, back, and forehead. William informed the officers that he could also not hear out of his left ear. Officers then noticed that there was blood on the walls of the residence.
William’s wife told the officers that before their arrival, James had attempted to wipe the blood off the walls. William then claimed that after he told James about the order of protection, James immediately became violent. William stated James then smashed his head into a brick wall and continued to assault him. William’s wife said that she got James outside and closed the door, but he forced his way inside and continued to assault William. During the assault, William’s wife escaped outside, and James locked her out. James then prevented William from escaping as he continued to attack him. James was then transported and was later charged with resisting arrest, false imprisonment, aggravated assault, and aggravated burglary.
Tamia Watkins hits ex-boyfriend & threatens to kill him during argument over their children
28-year-old Tamia Watkins had a domestic altercation with her ex-boyfriend, Aaron Maurice Valdez, at Comfort Inn & Suites on Collins Park Drive late September 1st. Valdez told responding officers he had come to see his kids for the weekend. He explained that Watkins was going back and forth with him regarding whether he could keep the kids another night. Valdez said it started as a verbal dispute outside the parking lot, but Watkins told him, “You do not know me. I will hit you!” Watkins then made a motion as if she were going to hit him. Then, Valdez added that she proceeded to say, “I will kill you,” placing him in fear for his life. Valdez informed officers that he and Watkins do not have a custodial agreement. The police spoke with Valdez’s girlfriend, Linda Orozco, who stated she had not heard anything since she was inside. However, she said she saw Watkins make a punching motion at Valdez. Then, officers spoke with Watkins, who was visibly intoxicated. Watkins told officers that she never made any threats. The police report stated that Watkins hit Valdez, and during the scuffle, she struck their son in the mouth. Watkins was taken into custody for domestic assault on September 2nd.