Antwone Boykin
East Ridge Police have made an arrest in a case in which a man tackled and robbed a woman who was leaving a title loan office.
Last Wednesday at 7:09 p.m., police responded to a reported robbery from a person at 5519 Ringgold Road. According to the report, a black male wearing khaki-colored pants, black t-shirt, blue shoes, and having purple-colored dreads had tackled the victim as she exited the front door of Tennessee Title Loans. The victim had received minor cuts and abrasions during the assault and subsequent struggle for possession of her purse.
Following the robbery, the suspect was seen running to a vehicle parked within an adjacent parking lot and subsequently fled the area.
Following assignment to CID on May 5, investigators were able to obtain statements from staff at Tennessee Title Loans and Security Finance which was directly related to the incident. Investigators learned that the victim had cash, two checkbooks, a debit card, a Georgia EBT card, bank statements, utility bills, a house key, and a car key that were stolen during the incident. Over the course of the investigation, available surveillance video was reviewed which resulted in detailed suspect and vehicle descriptions. Captured still image photographs were generated and subsequently distributed through a public Facebook profile managed by the East Ridge Police Department.
On Saturday, investigators received a voluntary and unsolicited telephone call from an original witness at Security Finance who indicated that an undisclosed family member had discovered a Facebook profile of the depicted suspect and identified him as Antwone Clevon Boykin . Although the Facebook profile had not shown any indications of colored braids/dreadlocks, the witnesses felt extremely confident in their identification, officials said. Investigators later viewed the profile and subsequently searched law enforcement databases to gather, corroborate the information, and gain potential intelligence.
A Tennessee identification was located for Boykin and showed an updated photograph taken during its recent issuance on April 24, just nine days prior to the incident. The photograph revealed that Boykin now had distinctive pink/purple tips on his braided dreadlock-styled hair. The listed address on the identification showed a current address of 747 Henderson Dr. in Chattanooga.
On Saturday, investigators drove by the listed address in hopes of gaining additional intelligence information. Upon passing 747 Henderson Dr., investigators recognized the white-colored vehicle backed into the driveway of the residence. The vehicle was an exact match of the one described by witnesses and previously observed on related video surveillance footage. The vehicle at the residence was distinctively missing the left front fender and hubcap.
On Monday, investigators presented witnesses with a gray-scale five-photo lineup which included the suspect and four additional and unassociated individuals. To maintain additional integrity, the photo lineups were discretely and individually presented to all three witnesses within a back room at Security Finance. Upon the presentment of each lineup, all three witnesses immediately and definitively identified Boykin (Image#4) as the suspect.
Also on Monday, warrants were obtained for the arrest of Boykin for robbery, assault, and driving without a license. At approximately 4 p.m., investigators with the East Ridge Police Department, US Marshals Service, Chattanooga Police Department, and Tennessee Department of Corrections were able to take Boykin into custody at 747 Henderson Dr.
Recovered during the arrest were the vehicle driven by Boykin and clothing worn during commission of the offense. Boykin was later transported to the Hamilton County Jail on an $8,500 bond and is set to appear in East Ridge Municipal Court on May 16 at 5 p.m.