A man accused of holding a knife to a woman’s throat in an April carjacking was recognized by his victim three months later when she saw the scars on his hands at a local store, officials say.
Michael Early, 26, has been charged with aggravated robbery, aggravated carjacking and theft over $5,000, according to an affidavit from Hamilton County General Sessions Court.
In the affidavit, he denies any involvement in the case.
Takira Sanders was sitting in her red 2004 Pontiac Sunfire on East Fifth Street the evening of April 1 when a white male walked up to her open driver’s door window and put a knife to her throat, police documents say.
The man demanded the keys to her car, and Ms. Sanders complied, documents say. The suspect then ordered her out of the car and drove off in it.
The car had her laptop computer, GPS system and other personal items inside, she said.
Ms. Sanders described the suspect as a white male with brown hair, a thin mustache, and dirty hands. According to the affidavit, the car was found the next morning.
On Wednesday, Ms. Sanders called police, reporting she had seen the suspect enter the T-Mobile store at 5100 Highway 153 in Hixson.
Ms. Sanders told police that, when she saw him, she had an immediate flashback to the incident.
“This was the person that robbed me,” she insisted, according to the report.
Chattanooga Police Investigator J. Hostetter responded to the call and recognized the man.
“It turned out that the suspect was a person of interest before, but we did not have enough to go on at that time,” Investigator Hostetter reported.