Delandus Pruitt
Authorities were searching for a murder suspect believed to be hiding out at a Soddy Daisy trailer park. He got away, but Delandus Pruitt and Andrika McConnell are facing several charges.
Police said they had information that Marquise "C-Banger" Burress was traveling in a black Dodge Charger with Georgia tags and was hiding out at 469 Clift Road, Lot #4.
Burress is charged in the shooting death of 29-year-old Robert Gill. The victim's body, with multiple bullet wounds, was found on a driveway on South Street in the early morning of June 19, 2019. First-degree murder charges were bound to the Grand Jury against Burress, but he later made bond.
Officers watched the Charger leave the trailer park, then travel at a high rate of speed on Highway 27 south. It changed lanes multiple times and exited on Signal Mountain Road. The vehicle later got back on Highway 27 and traveled to Market Street. Police were able to box it in nearby.
Police said the driver, Pruitt, had a very similar description to Burress and it was determined they are in the same gang, "Hoover Crips."
Pruitt told police he is a convicted felon and said he had just got out of prison on a 10-year sentence for armed robbery when he was 18 years old.
He denied knowing Burress, who is on Hamilton County's Most Wanted List.
Police went back to the trailer where they found a woman who said she is the aunt of four children that were in the trailer. The eldest is 10.
Police said after all the children exited, they could hear thumping inside as if someone was hiding. They said they got a search warrant and called out the SWAT Team, but Burress was not found.
They did find a loaded Ruger 9mm pistol, ammunition, cut lines of cocaine, a marijuana grinder and digital scales.
Pruitt and Ms. McConnell were charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of drugs for resale, aggravated child abuse and reckless endangerment.
Andrika McConnell