Hamilton County authorities charge man with carjacking, kidnapping, robbery [video]

Jonathan Stubbs
Jonathan Stubbs

The masked man emerged from the darkness a few feet from Michael Holt's car.

Holt, smoking a cigarette outside the Hixson Pike McDonald's where he worked, heard the man's footsteps and started.

photo Jonathan Stubbs

"Buddy, you scared the hell out of me," he called out to the man, a tall white guy with some sort of scarf wrapped around his face.

The man told Holt he needed the car.

"Bud, you can't have my car," Holt said.

The man pulled a handgun from behind his back and pointed it at Holt.

"I need your car," he said again.

Holt froze. The man forced him to get into the passenger seat, then handed him a pair of toy handcuffs and told him to put them on. Don't do anything stupid, the man told him. He said he only needed the car.

Then, just after 4 a.m. on Feb. 13, the man pulled out of the McDonald's parking lot at 8601 Hixson Pike and turned onto Daisy Dallas Road, according to court records. Then he turned onto Gann Road and, after a minute or two, pulled over.

The man demanded Holt's cellphone and took it apart. He stole Holt's wallet, and then told him to get out of the car, step away and close the door.

Then he drove off, tires crunching on the gravel road.

Authorities now believe Jonathan Stubbs, 28, is the man who carjacked Holt that night. Police in Soddy-Daisy found Holt's stolen car parked at an apartment complex on Dayton Pike on Feb. 21.

Inside the car, investigators discovered two receipts that led them to Stubbs. They also found a pistol and revolver.

One receipt was with a silver necklace and listed "Jonathan Stubbs" as the seller of the necklace. The other was for a purchase made at a Soddy-Daisy Wal-Mart on Feb. 18 at 1:13 p.m. When investigators pulled the surveillance video from that Wal-Mart at that time, they found footage of a man who looked like Jonathan Stubbs.

Then, they presented a photo lineup to Holt, who picked out Stubbs as the attacker.

Stubbs has been charged with carjacking, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery and unlawful possession of a weapon. He was arrested Friday and booked into the Hamilton County Jail, where he remained in custody on Monday.

Holt declined to comment on the incident when reached by phone Monday.

Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips or story ideas. Follow her on Twitter @ShellyBradbury.

Upcoming Events