1 charged after police say family followed home by robbers, held hostage at gunpoint

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Police have arrested one suspect after a hostage situation in which a family was followed home from a gas station, forced inside, and robbed at gunpoint, police say.

The incident took place at a Memphis home on Tuesday, Sept. 27 as a father was driving home from the Q-Mart at Elliston Road and Getwell Road after pumping gas around midnight.

Also inside the car were his wife and daughter.

Investigators later found via surveillance video that after he pumped gas and pulled out onto the street, a gray four-door Kia Optima immediately followed the family’s car out of the lot in the direction of the victims’ home.

Upon pulling into the family’s driveway, the father said that the Optima stopped at the end of the driveway, blocking them in.

The father told police that two unmasked men then got out of the Optima and approached the family’s car with guns drawn.

He said the men demanded money and forcibly removed his wife and daughter from the car at gunpoint.

He then gave his wallet to the suspects, who then took the house keys from his wife and forced everyone inside the home.

One of the men went into the bedroom of a sleeping 16-year-old, waking her by putting a gun to her head and demanding money. She gave them the only thing she had, which was $5, police say.

The suspects also found another victim in the house, the father’s brother, and demanded money from him at gunpoint.

The father told police that the suspects marched all victims into the same room and put a gun to the heads of the women, threatening to kill them.

The suspects took a total of $212 from the victims and a cell phone worth approximately $600.

They then left the scene, leaving behind a wallet in the driveway.

The wallet belonged to 23-year-old suspect Taquarius Bynum.

Bynum was identified in a photo lineup as one of the suspects that robbed the family at gunpoint in their own home.

On Wednesday, Oct. 5, Bynum was located by Mt. Moriah Station Task Force officers in the same Optima used to follow the family.

He refused to give a statement to investigators and was transported to 201 Poplar.

Bynum is charged with five counts of aggravated robbery, five counts of aggravated kidnapping, one count of aggravated burglary, theft of property valued at $1,000 or less, and employing a firearm with the intent to commit a dangerous felony.

His next court date is scheduled for Thursday.

Police have not released information about the second suspect at this time.

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