KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) — The Knoxville Police Department is searching for two women accused of robbing a Knoxville car dealership at gunpoint and making off with approximately $5,000 in cash.
According to police, officers were called Tuesday to MG Auto Sales LLC, located at 4403 Clinton Highway, after reports of an armed robbery. Investigators say two Black women wearing face masks and gloves entered the business and robbed employees at gunpoint.
Police said the suspects fled the scene in a newer-model Ford Explorer. Officers searched the area but were unable to locate the vehicle or the suspects. The women remain at large.
The dealership is a family-owned used car business that recently moved to its Clinton Highway location in June. Co-owner Maria Gomez told WVLT off camera that the robbery was unlike anything her family has experienced before. While the family declined an on-camera interview, the incident has left business owners in the area on edge.
Nearby business owner Shawn Faircloth of Faircloth Customs said his company has taken extensive security precautions in response to crime concerns.
“We have over 58 cameras inside and outside the building,” Faircloth said. “And they don’t want to break in and come in here while we’re here, because we all carry.”
Faircloth said his business has dealt with theft in the past and understands the impact such crimes can have on small business owners.
“It’s heartbreaking, because we work for this and we pay for it out of our pocket,” he said.
The Knoxville Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit is actively investigating the robbery. Detectives have not released descriptions beyond the suspects’ clothing and are asking anyone with information about the case or the Ford Explorer to contact investigators.
No injuries were reported during the robbery.
