The three suspects who forced a grad student out of his car at gunpoint last week were arrested on Monday evening by university police, and they have the name of a final suspect involved in the crime.
Zainalabidin Kinnare, a second-year physics graduate student, was listening to music in his 2016 Toyota Corolla on March 15 just before 9 p.m. when armed robbers made him get out of his vehicle.
Derek Myers, interim chief of police, said in a campus-wide email the three suspects were found Monday, four days after the carjacking, and “identified as juveniles” who “were taken to juvenile court.” Myers also shared that a “fourth juvenile believed to be involved has been identified.” The Memphis Police Department found Kinnare’s stolen vehicle abandoned Monday evening.
Myers said finding the suspects was a “joint effort” between university police and the Memphis Police Department. The police were able to find the apartment the suspects were staying in by using information from separate cases, according to Myers.
“We made the arrest and transported the suspects to Tillman Station,” Myers said. “I think the ages of the suspects were 17 and two 15-year-olds.”
According to Myers, the juvenile suspects have played parts in other cases that happened off campus.
“The big thing that we’ve seen is that it’s very rare that you catch a suspect, and this is all they’ve done,” Myers said. “When things like this happen, we’re going to look for you, and we will find you.”
Myers said the arrest was a surprise for the suspects, so they did not have a chance to get away.
“It was good determination and investigating by the detectives on the case,” Myers said.
Although a fourth suspect was mentioned in Myers’ email, the suspect has not been arrested yet. He said it would not be too long before the police find the final suspect.
“We knew there was someone else who drove another vehicle,” Myers said. “We have the suspect’s name but have not located them.”
When it comes to the guns that were used in the carjacking (two handguns and a rifle) Myers said they are suspected to be “part of another case” against the suspects. Myers also said that students in general need to be observant so that what happened to Kinnare does not happen to them.
“Call the police department or use the LiveSafe app,” Myers said. “Give us information, so we can intercept suspicious people before things like this happen.”
Shahid Kinnare, father of the victim, said the situation was very “stressful” for his son.
“We were all disturbed,” Kinnare said. “I talked to him until 12 (midnight).”
Even though the suspects for the crime were arrested, he said knowing this does not make him feel better.
“It makes me feel sad because they’re young and they have so much life,” the elder Kinnare said. “They should not have been in that situation.”
In 2010, 12,792 children were referred to juvenile court in the Shelby County/Memphis area, according to The State of Tennessee Annual Juvenile Court Statistical Report.
Kinnare said his son is aware his car was found, but he does not have it yet in his possession.
