Nashville, TN - The man arrested Saturday for trying to rob an 89-year-old woman of her purse on Park Avenue in West Nashville is also now charged with robbing a 20-year-old Vanderbilt student at gunpoint earlier in the day. The same man allegedly had a handgun that was stolen in Rutherford County, according to Metro Nashville Police.

The 89-year-old victim had just walked back to her vehicle on Park Avenue after attending the Richland Park Farmers Market when a man opened the door to her SUV and demanded her purse while showing a pistol tucked into his waistband. The victim refused to comply and said to him, “Why are you doing this? I’m 89-years-old.” The area was full of people at the time and the suspect walked away. West Precinct officers responded to the scene and were interviewing the victim when the suspect, wearing a red T-shirt, khaki shorts, white shoes, and a gray baseball cap with a red brim, was noticed walking in Richland Park. The officers yelled at the man to stop, he refused and took off running. After a foot chase across Charlotte Pike toward Alabama Avenue, officers caught up with Marquis Douglas, 42. A witness told officers Douglas tossed a pistol in the bed of a large pickup truck parked next to a pizza restaurant. The gun, a nine-millimeter semi-automatic, was recovered. It was reported stolen in Murfreesboro.

Douglas was taken to booking and charged with attempted aggravated robbery, gun theft, gun possession in the commission of a dangerous felony, and evading arrest.

Further investigation of Douglas by Robbery Detective Rodney Harbin led to Douglas being connected to a 6:55 a.m. Saturday robbery of a 20-year-old Vanderbilt University student as she walked in the area of 32nd Avenue and Orleans Drive. The victim told Vanderbilt Police that a man approached her from behind, put a gun to her back and demanded her belongings. The victim gave the man $70 and he fled. Surveillance footage showed that the clothing worn by the man matched that of Douglas from the latter case.

Douglas is charged with aggravated robbery of the Vanderbilt student. He is jailed on a total bond of $110,000 in both cases.

Source: Metro Police

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