East Ridge police have charged a woman and a man with the Saturday robbery of a motorist on Ringgold Road.
Mandi Hutsell, a homeless woman and Charles B. Wells, of a Roberts Road address in Chattanooga, are currently in the Catoosa County Jail awaiting extradition, officials said. The pair are both charged with Aggravated Robbery and will be held in the Hamilton County Jail under a $10,000 bond.
According to an affidavit of complaint, the victim was driving down Ringgold Road when Hutsell, who was standing on the side of the road, motioned for her. The victim told police that she thought the woman may have wanted to “bum” a cigarette. When the victim rolled her window down, Hutsell reached in and opened the passenger door. The report states that Hutsell told the victim that she had a weapon and wanted the victim to continue driving.
The report states that Hutsell demanded money and the victim turned over money and pulled into the parking lot of the Mapco at 6514 Ringgold Road as she was directed to do by Hutsell. Hutsell then got out of the victim’s car and into a vehicle driven by Wells. The car sped off and the victim followed, calling 911 as she did so.
Hutsell and Wells were caught by Catoosa County and Fort Oglethorpe police in the 800 block of Colony Circle, the report states. The victim was still following the vehicle driven by Wells.
According to the victim, she handed over $200 in twenty-dollar bills to Hutsell. The money was recovered from the rear seat of the vehicle being driven by Wells and turned over to the victim, the report states.
_ Police arrested a man last week after he was caught on video surveillance cameras vandalizing cars at a Ringgold Road used car dealership.
According to an affidavit of complaint, an employee of EZ Auto Credit reported that 14 vehicles on the lot had been damaged on the lot as somebody was trying to pry off lock boxes attached to windows. A review of video surveillance showed a white male, wearing a gray shirt with ripped jeans carrying a duffel bag around the lot and trying to force the boxes open. He was able to make off with one of the car’s lock boxes.
The lock boxes contained the ignition keys to the individual cars, the report states. Had the man forced open any one of the boxes he would have been able to make off with the car.
The report states that police encountered Todd Banjamin Martin about 800 feet from EZ Auto about 30 minutes after the incident was reported to have occurred. Martin was wearing the same clothes as described by the lot employee. The report states that he was carrying a duffel bag and a pry bar.
Martin, 32, of an 11th Street address in Chattanooga, was charged with Theft under $500 and Vandalism over $1,000. He is being held in the Hamilton County Jail under a $2,500 bond. It is unclear when he is due to appear in Municipal Court.
