Updated: 11/21/2009 2:13:51 PM
A man suspected of going on a crime spree Friday night has been arrested.
Authorities say 22-year-old David Picciuto of Halls is facing charges in both the City of Knoxville and Knox County after Friday night's robberies.
It began when Knoxville police responded to a call of a purse snatching in the parking lot of KOHL'S on Morrell Road around 9:30 Friday. The victim told police the suspect drove up next to her in a red Mercury Cougar and reached out the driver side window and attempted to grab her purse from her shoulder. She was able to pull away just enough to prevent the suspect from getting hold of her purse.
Hours later, about 1 a.m. Saturday, police say the suspect also held up the EZ Stop on Walbrook Drive, with what appeared to be a handgun. Then just minutes after that, dispatch told officers the Knox County Deputies were en route to a robbery at the Walgreens at Middlebrook and Cedar Bluff and that the same suspect was involved.
KPD officers were then dispatched to the Kenjo on Kingston Pike on a forth robbery matching the suspect's description. This time the suspect robbed a person outside of the market and the clerk called police. The witness said the suspect walked across the street and got into the Red Mercury Cougar as described by the first victim. Knox County deputies and KPD units were able to stop Picciuto near the Kenjo where he surrendered to officers.
Inside the vehicle police found a BB gun, a large amount of cash and a blue handkerchief used to cover his face. Officers than took Picciuto back to the Kenjo and Exxon where clerks were able to positively ID him as the suspect.
Picciuto is charged with two counts of Aggravated Robbery in the city and one count of Aggravated Robbery in the county. Charges are pending in the purse snatching incident.
