Full Notification

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION
JACKSON POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: April 4, 2014
BY: Chief Gill Kendrick

Point of Contact: Capt. Tyreece Miller 731-425-8676 [email protected]

Police Arrest and Charge Man in Four Recent Attacks on the Elderly between March 24 and April 1: Man Charged with Three Counts of Robbery and Theft, Victims Between the Ages of 79 and 83

Suspect is a Sex Offender who is Currently on Probation for Theft over $1,000

Jackson police have arrested and charged a man in four recent attacks on the elderly between March 24 and April 1. The victims range in age from 79 to 83.

Mario Hoyle, 31, of Jackson faces charges for three counts of robbery and one count of theft.

On March 24 at 8 p.m., an 81-year-old man was placing items in his car on the 100 block of Holland Ave. when an unidentified man shoved him down and took his wallet out of his back pocket.

On March 28 at 3:30 p.m., an 83-year-old man was outside his house on the 20 block of Coatsland Dr. when he was approached by an unidentified man. The suspect asked the victim if he had jumper cables. When the victim went to his trunk to retrieve the cables, the suspect grabbed him around his waist and removed the victim's wallet.

On March 30 around 7:50 p.m., a 79-year-old man was about to enter his home on the 1000 block of Campbell Street. As the victim was standing at the door, he felt something touch his back pocket. The victim turned around and saw an unidentified man running away. The victim then noticed that his wallet was gone.

On April 1 about 9:20 p.m., a 52-year-old man and his 82-year-old mother were walking together on the parking lot of Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, at 620 Skyline Dr. The suspect approached them and engaged the 52-year-old man in a casual conversation. The suspect then suddenly punched the man and grabbed the woman's purse that was on her shoulder. The force caused the woman to fall down.

Police obtained video surveillance from the hospital, which showed the suspect in different areas inside the hospital on the ground floor. Investigators believe the suspect was searching for a vulnerable victim. Surveillance further shows that he approached the victims as they left from inside the hospital.

Gang Unit investigators looked at surveillance photos and provided Mario Hoyle's name as a possible suspect. Patrol officers were familiar with Hoyle and found him around 11 p.m. Thursday night. He was taken into custody for questioning for the Coatsland and hospital robberies.

Major Crimes investigators developed the case and determined that Hoyle was responsible for all four incidents. Investigators processed four arrest warrants. Three of the warrants were for robberies on March 24, 28 and April 1. The theft warrant was for the March 30 incident.

Jackson City Court Judge Blake Anderson will review Hoyle's charges Saturday morning and determine a bond amount.

Hoyle is scheduled to be formally arraigned at 8 a.m. Monday in Jackson City Court.

Investigators have learned that Hoyle is a sex offender who was convicted of sexual battery in 2001 for an attack on a then 12-year-old girl in Jackson.

Hoyle also was convicted for theft of property over $1,000 for stealing a motorized wheelchair from a 50-year-old man in Jackson in 2011. Hoyle was subsequently sentenced to four years state probation for that incident.

Investigators have spoken with Hoyle's probation officer today, and he intends to seek a probation violation warrant in light of Hoyle's recent arrest.