Two felony suspects from Florida remain behind bars after Franklin Police caught them in the act, using credit cards stolen during a smash-and-grab auto burglary.
Franklin Police Officers arrested 25-year-old Khambrel Cooper and Josephus Howard, 20, both of Ft. Lauderdale on January 24 at the Franklin Walmart. Cooper and Howard had just used stolen credit cards to make several purchases in the store. Howard was taken into custody without incident, but Cooper led officers on a short foot pursuit into a nearby wood line where he was quickly captured.
Both suspects were with a group of traveling criminals who targeted Franklin-area daycares and parks. Their M.O. was to wait in the parking lot and watch for women to get out of their car without their purse, and then smash the window to steal any purse left behind in plain view. The crew would immediately go to nearby retail stores where they would use the stolen credit cards to load visa gift cards. Walmart loss prevention was instrumental in these arrests. Police and retail security forces continue to dramatically increase partnerships to make things as hard as possible for criminals like these to succeed in Franklin.
Howard and Cooper, along with their associates, are suspected in several smash-and-grab auto burglaries that have plagued the Franklin-Williamson County area for weeks. Additional charges are expected.
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