Car thief threatens homeowners on their security camera

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Some terrifying moments for an East Memphis couple early Monday morning after thieves tried to steal one of their cars and threatened to kill them if they came outside.

In the Ring video shared on social media, you can see a male in a mask and black hoodie point a gun directly at the camera in a carport and say, “Don’t come outside. I’ll kill you b***h.”

The suspect backs up and tells the homeowners if they come outside, they are going to die.

“I wasn’t going outside anyway. No, I was staying in my house,” said one of the victims.

The woman who lives near Poplar and White Station did not want to be identified.

She said her Ring camera went off several times just after 1 a.m., so she turned on her porch light. The victim said that when she saw someone point a gun at the doorbell camera.

“He let me know he was going to shoot us,” she said.

The homeowner said several people were in her driveway trying to take her husband’s Kia. She said they broke two windows on the vehicle, but when her husband set off their car alarms, they all took off running.

“It is scary. What I didn’t realize is it’s happening all around the area.”

MPD’s CyberWatch website shows over the last two months, there have been nearly two dozen car thefts or car break-ins in the neighborhood or nearby.

The victim said the bright lights on her street and around her home are not deterring the crime.

“The other thing is these are kids,” she said. “Memphis needs to have a curfew. This is out of control. I don’t know if the mayor realizes it. Surely, he does. He’s pretty smart.”

The victim said she just wants to feel safe in her home and is not going anywhere.

Police said surveillance video showed what appeared to be a red vehicle parked outside the victim’s home. If you have any information about the attempted car theft, call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.

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