Robbery suspect ditches stolen Land Rover before arrest

Perkerson

A convicted felon linked to at least a dozen west Nashville business burglaries was arrested in Bellevue Friday night after a brief foot chase through a wooded area off Old Hickory Boulevard.

Police said they spotted Preston Rotier Perkerson Jr., 44, driving a 2006 Land Rover that had been reported stolen earlier in the day, but when officers attempted to stop the vehicle he accelerated and ran a red. He ditched the vehicle at the Madison at Ridgelake apartment and ran into the woods.

Perkerson emerged from the woods and entered a unit at Belle Forest Condominiums, where police said he had been staying. He was arrested with no further incident.

He faces 12 counts of burglary, theft of a vehicle and felony evading arrest. More charges against him are possible as detectives continue to investigate his activities.

During questioning, police said Perkerson admitted to burglarizing the following businesses:

• Wendell Smith’s Restaurant, 5300 Charlotte Pike, on March 8
• Sylvan Park Restaurant, 4502 Murphy Road, on March 11
• Rotier’s Restaurant, 2413 Elliston Place, on March 13
• Scarlett Begonia, 2805 West End Avenue, on March 14
• Cumberland Transit, 2807 West End Avenue, on March 16
• Dose Coffee & Tea, 3431 Murphy Road, on March 16
• Brown’s Diner, 2101 Blair Boulevard, on March 16
• Springwater Bar, 115 27th Avenue North, on March 16
• US Border Cantina, 106 29th Avenue North, on March 16
• Papa John’s Pizza, 251 Old Hickory Boulevard, on March 19
• Blue Coast Burrito, 6800 Charlotte Pike, on March 20
• Target, 6814 Charlotte Pike, on March 20

Perkerson, who received a three-year sentence in 2004 for felony theft, is being held in the Metro Jail on $180,000 bond.