Woman, teens arrested in string of violent carjackings, robberies

Melissa Moon
·4 min read
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A woman is facing 25 felony counts in connection to a string of violent carjackings and robberies across Memphis over the last two weeks.

Four other teenage male suspects were also taken into custody Wednesday in connection with the carjackings. Their names were not released by police because they are juveniles. See details below.

Police said from Nov. 26 to Dec. 4, the carjackers targeted at least nine people. At least five of the victims were hit in the head with a gun, and two victims were shot.

Along with vehicles, the suspects took cash, credit cards, and cell phones by force.

Police said Nautica Moore, 23, was arrested inside the Hillview Apartments Tuesday after she ran from officers and crashed a stolen gold Ford Focus that was used in some of the carjackings.

She was charged with Carjacking (5X), Employment of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony (7X), Attempted Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Robbery (6X), Aggravated Assault, Attempted First-Degree Murder, Attempted Second-Degree Murder, and Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000, and Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm (2X). Her bond has been set at $85,000.00.

Investigators said Moore was also identified by an Uber Driver who was carjacked and beaten by several people he picked up at the Hillview Apartments. Police said they also found several guns and ammo inside the apartment Moore was seen exiting.

Teen arrested in rash of auto burglaries, stolen guns seized

December 2, a man said he was parked on Steve Road in East Memphis when a gold Ford Focus and a black sedan stopped on the street, and an armed man fired one shot into his Nissan Altima when he refused to get out of the vehicle.

The driver was shot in the leg, and his passenger was chased from the vehicle and hit repeatedly in the head with a gun by the same suspect. The driver said one of the eight individuals in the other cars drove away in his Nissan.

A photo from the Steve Road carjacking was provided by Memphis Police in a video:

Police said the same day, some of the same individuals shot another man in the knee during an attempted robbery on Berkshire in the Nutbush area.

The victim said he was getting something out of his vehicle when he was approached by two males who tried to rob him. The victim said he ran away, and that’s when he was shot. The suspects did not take his car.

Detectives said Moore admitted to driving the stolen Ford Focus and fleeing from police. They said she also gave them consent to search her cellphone, which contained videos of her being in possession of multiple firearms recovered at the Hillview apartment.

Moore was charged with attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault, several counts of carjacking, several counts of aggravated robbery, attempted robbery, several counts of employment of firearm to commit a felony, and being a felon in possession of a handgun.

Police said in 2019, Moore pled guilty to facilitation of the burglary of a building and received a two-year suspended sentence.

She is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.

In addition to Moore’s charges, police said four juveniles charged in the carjackings were taken into custody Wednesday in the 1900 block of Gladney Circle.

  • A 17-year-old male was charged with Carjacking (4X), Employment of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony (6X), Aggravated Robbery (5X), Attempted Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000, and Attempted First-Degree Murder (2X).

  • A 17-year-old male was charged with Carjacking (2X), Employment of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony (2X), Attempted Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Assault, and Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000.

  • A 15-year-old male was charged with Carjacking (7X), Employment of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony (7X), Aggravated Robbery (8X), Attempted Aggravated Robbery (2X), Aggravated Assault, Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000, Attempted First-Degree Murder (2X), and Attempted Second-Degree Murder.

  • A 16-year-old male was charged with Carjacking (5X), Employment of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony (8X), Aggravated Robbery (7X), Attempted Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000, and Attempted First-Degree Murder (2X).

Three more suspects are still at large, police said.

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