Man charged in home invasion
By Wes Wade | (wes.wade@thedailytimes.com)
Authorities have made an arrest in connection with a home-invasion robbery at a Maryville apartment complex earlier this week.
Maryville Police arrested John Michael Crowley, 36, of Harrington Court, Maryville, Friday morning on one count each of aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary. He was being held in the Blount County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bond pending a 9 a.m. Feb. 26 hearing in Blount County General Sessions Court.
Crowley’s arrest stems from a home invasion at a Maryville apartment complex in the 400 block of South Maple Street Tuesday night. Maryville Police officers responded to the complex at around 8:45 p.m. to perform a welfare check after a resident at the complex called 911 to report she had heard someone in the victim’s apartment telling the resident to “give it to him,” according to a Maryville Police report.
When officers arrived, they found the door to the apartment standing open and noticed what appeared to be blood smeared on the wall. A witness standing in the hallway said the victim ran out of his apartment and went to the apartment of the woman who initially phoned police.
The victim, a 70-year-old man, told officers that a large-built man in a ski mask forced his way into his apartment brandishing a handgun and demanded his prescription medication. The victim refused the intruder’s demands and the intruder tried to tie the victim’s hands with duct tape. The intruder was unsuccessful in tying up the victim, at which point a struggle ensued between the two. The intruder eventually fled with an unknown amount of the resident’s medication, police said.
During an interview with police, the victim said he had an argument with an acquaintance earlier in the day and that he had let the man borrow his car.
Officers responded to the address of the acquaintance and recovered the victim’s car. Investigators also located the acquaintance — identified as Joseph Ryan Harrell, 32, Harrington Court, Maryville — and arrested him on a warrant for doctor shopping.
Police interviewed Harrell about the home invasion, but he was not charged in connection with the incident and was released on $5,000 bond pending a 9 a.m. Wednesday hearing in Blount County General Sessions Court to address the doctor shopping charge.
Police continued their investigation throughout the week and were led to a residence off East Lamar Alexander Parkway at around 9:20 a.m. Friday, where they located Crowley, said Maryville Police Chief Tony Crisp.
“After we entered the residence he (Crowley) attempted to flee out the back door, but was unsuccessful,” Crisp said. “We caught him and took him into custody.”
Crisp said Crowley was then taken to the Blount County Jail, where he was formally charged around noon.
