Mount Juliet police took three teenagers into custody for allegedly driving a stolen vehicle to the city and committing theft at Academy Sports, according to a social media post by the department. The suspects, two 15-year-olds and an 18-year-old, all from Nashville, were flagged by #MJGuardianShield license plate readers, technology that alerted officers to the stolen 2018 Hyundai Elantra as it entered Mount Juliet.
Three teens are in custody after traveling to Mt. Juliet in a stolen vehicle and shoplifting from Academy Sports. This evening, our #MJGuardianShield license plate readers alerted officers to a stolen 2018 Hyundai Elantra as it entered the city on Central Pike. The car had been… pic.twitter.com/PZB6B3oD1h
— Mt. Juliet Police (@MtJulietPolice) October 22, 2025
The vehicle, which had been reported stolen from Nashville on October 15, was found parked outside Academy Sports; officers then coordinated an approach and waited for the suspects to return. The apprehension, executed as the teens returned to the vehicle, resulted in the detention of the trio, who were found with alcohol, marijuana, gun magazines, and a ski mask. Officers’ prompt response and effective use of technology underscored Mount Juliet’s reputation as one of the region’s safest communities.
Further inquiries connected the same 18-year-old and one of the 15-year-olds to another incident involving an abandoned stolen car discovered at a local Walmart parking lot on October 16, which at the time had not been reported stolen; this vehicle was also traced back to Nashville by the Mt. Juliet Police Department. The suspects had used an Uber service to leave the scene, and later, an MJPD officer identified the vehicle as stolen. Surveillance footage from the lot helped police link these two teens to both the Walmart and the Academy Sports incidents…