Following a three-day jury trial in Sumner County Criminal Court, a jury on June 25 convicted Patrick R. Smith 39, of Houston, of theft of property over $10,000, burglary of an automobile and possession of burglary tools.
At trial, evidence proved that on Nov. 11, 2023, a local married couple traveled to Genesis Diamonds in Nashville to have the husband’s Rolex watch appraised. After leaving the jewelry store, the victims drove to Sam’s Club in Hendersonville. They parked their Chevrolet Tahoe in the parking lot and entered the store to shop, leaving the Rolex watch inside the vehicle in a backpack. When they returned, they discovered that a window in the Tahoe had been shattered and the backpack stolen. The stolen property included the Rolex watch, valued at approximately $30,000, along with other personal belongings.
An investigation conducted by the Hendersonville Police Department revealed that the victims had been specifically targeted after visiting Genesis Diamonds. Surveillance footage from Sam’s Club showed a black Dodge GT Charger closely following the victims’ vehicle into the parking lot before parking nearby. After the victims entered the store, the surveillance footage captured an individual exiting the Charger, quickly approaching the victims’ vehicle and returning to the Charger moments later before leaving the parking lot. Flock Safety license plate reader cameras at the entrance to Sam’s Club also captured images of the victims’ Chevrolet Tahoe entering the parking lot, followed just seconds later by the black Dodge GT Charger…