$6,800 stolen in a “jugging” incident outside a restaurant in Berry Hill, Tennessee

BERRY HILL, Tenn. (WKRN) – Thieves reportedly followed a local man out of his bank last week and then stole thousands of dollars from his truck. Berry Hill police described this as a growing crime trend known as “jugging.”

On Thursday, May 9, authorities said two men had just stopped for lunch at a popular restaurant on Thompson Lane, unaware that two others had just followed them from their bench on Nolensville Road, where the men had withdrawn a large amount of cash.

On Sgt. Tony Russo’s body camera, he can be heard approaching the two men in their work truck.

“How long have you been sitting here?” Russo asked.

“About 20, 30 minutes,” one of the men replied.

As the victim described the crime, the veteran officer knew what had happened.

“Before I come here, I’m going to the bank,” the victim said.

“They followed you?” Russo replied.

“They followed me,” the victim explained.

The Berry Hill sergeant realized it was another case of racketeering.

“Juvenile is basically a suspect following a victim from a bank or ATM; follows them to their next location, such as a restaurant, bar or gas station; waits for them to exit the vehicle; knows if there is money in that vehicle because they followed them from that ATM or bank; breaks into the car; takes her money; and gets away with it,” Russo explained.

According to Russo, there have been four adjudication cases in Berry Hill in the last four months.

In last week’s case, he said the suspects observed the work crew leaving a nearby bank on Nolensville Road and followed the victims to the popular lunch spot in Berry Hill. As the men then exited their truck, one of the thieves reportedly got out of his silver Nissan Rogue, shattered the glass on the passenger side of the truck, reached through the window and grabbed the bank bag containing $6,800 inside.

When the sergeant asked the victim if he noticed anyone following him, the victim responded, “No, I don’t see anyone following me because if I park here I might stay for a minute or two and not see anyone.”

“We’ve had these incidents before where if they didn’t get the money out of the car, they would follow you to the next place and in return they would rob you and use violence against you,” Russo added.

“It’s a pretty big deal now to follow people,” Russo said in the bodycam footage. “I mean, it’s smart on their part… I wish we could tell people not to do it.”

“So this isn’t the first time in this area?” asked the victim.

“Not the first time, won’t be the last,” the sergeant replied.

So how do you protect yourself from jugging? It’s difficult, but Russo recommends making sure you’re not being followed or watched when you leave a bank or ATM. In addition, authorities recommend not carrying large amounts of cash and instead using a range of cash apps.

If you recognize the Nissan Rogue or the suspect in the photos above, you are asked to call the Berry Hill Police Department at 615-297-4701.