After nearly two years of digging into a deadly apartment robbery, Memphis Safe Task Force officers say they have their man. On Thursday, they arrested 20-year-old Mario Pree in the Westwood neighborhood on an outstanding warrant tied to an April 18, 2024 shooting at a Raleigh complex near Covington Pike and Stage Road. Pree is being held at the Shelby County Jail on a $1 million bond while prosecutors and detectives keep working the case.
How officers tracked him down
During the arrest, a warrant search turned up a .22-caliber rifle and a 5.56 mm pistol, according to Action News 5. The outlet reports investigators identified Pree as a suspect within about two weeks of the April 18, 2024 homicide, and a grand jury indicted him in December 2024. Officers ultimately tracked him by following up on the outstanding warrant, which they say led them to his location in the Westwood area.
Where this fits into the task-force effort
The arrest came as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force, a multiagency effort led by federal and local partners that has been serving warrants and pulling illegal guns off the street across the city. A recent U.S. Marshals Service release outlines similar operations and highlights the task force focus on clearing warrants for alleged violent offenders. Officials say the coordinated push is aimed at getting repeat offenders into custody and recovering firearms used in violent crimes.
Charges, prior cases and jail status
According to Action News 5, Pree faces warrants for first-degree murder, especially aggravated robbery and felony property theft in connection with the April 18, 2024 incident at The Summit Apartments. The station also reports he has an open indictment from 2023 that accuses him of stealing multiple vehicles and leading officers on a high-speed chase. The Summit Apartments lists its address as 4981 Hidden Lake Drive, just off Covington Pike and Stage Road…