200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660

ThomasMPatton • 423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-224-2786 (FAX)

http://Police.KingsportTN.gov • www.KingsportPDBlog.com

16-000373 (Food City)

16-000386 (CVS)

16-000472 (Motor Vehicle Theft)

26-000489 (Mr. Cash)

Approximately twelve hours later, shortly after noon, Kingsport Police were dispatched to a robbery at Mr. Cash, located at 3077 Fort Henry Drive in Kingsport. Employees reported that a white male suspect came to the business under the guise of cashing a money order.

The suspect went back to a truck in which he had arrived to allegedly retrieve the money order; however, he soon returned with his shirt sleeve pulled down over his hand, threatened that he had a gun, and demanded “all of the money.” The employees complied with his instructions.

The suspect fled with an unspecified amount of cash in the aforementioned stolen blue 1999 Chevrolet Silverado pickup. Through further investigation by the K.P.D. Criminal Investigations Division, including a review of surveillance video, Christopher M. Light was quickly identified as the suspect in question.

An alert was promptly issued to area law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for Mr. Light in the stolen pickup. On January 9, 2016 at approximately 12:45 PM, through good old fashioned police work, Kingsport Police Patrol Officers found the stolen pickup parked outside an apartment complex in the 1500 block of Bloomingdale Road.

After further investigation, Mr. Light was soon located hiding in one of the apartments. He was subsequently arrested and confined in the Kingsport City Jail, with no eligibility for bond, awaiting arraignment. In addition to the Smart Cuts robbery, he has also been charged with Violation of Parole.

The stolen pickup was recovered and returned to its rightful owner. The multiple remaining cases in which he is suspected remain under investigation with additional charges pending.

As previously released:

On January 5, 2016 at approximately 8:00 PM, Kingsport Police Patrol Officers responded to an armed robbery in progress at Smart Cuts, in the East Stone Commons shopping center, located at 2003 North Eastman Road in Kingsport. The suspect fled the scene prior to officer arrival. Detectives from the K.P.D. Criminal Investigations Division responded. Their investigation revealed the following:

As two employees were closing the business for the evening, they were confronted at the door by an individual armed with what appeared to be a handgun. The suspect was a white male dressed in a black zip-up hooded jacket and gloves. He forced them back inside at gunpoint and demanded “the register money.”

The employees complied with his demands and turned over an unspecified amount of cash. The suspect fled the scene in what appeared to be a silver Honda Accord or similarly styled vehicle, headed north on North Eastman Road toward East Stone Drive.

Through further investigation, Detectives have positively identified the suspect as Christopher M. Light. A warrant has been obtained, charging him with Aggravated Robbery. A photograph of Mr. Light has been included in this release. Anyone who knows his whereabouts is asked to contact Detectives in the K.P.D. Criminal Investigations Division at 423-229-9429 or call Kingsport Central Dispatch at 423-246-9111.

Alternatively, if an individual who is able to supply information related to this or any other case wishes not to be identified, tips can be submitted anonymously via online “Citizen Feedback” forms available at the following link:

http://police.KingsportTN.gov/Citizen_Feedback

Mr. Light is also a suspect in another robbery that occurred the following day. On January 6, 2016 at approximately 5:30 PM, a white male suspect robbed a 65 year old woman in the parking lot of Food City, located at 1205 North Eastman Road in Kingsport. The woman was returning to her vehicle with some groceries when she was attacked from behind.

The suspect forcefully pushed her partially into her car, into the rear floorboard of the vehicle, causing her to strike her head. He stole her purse and fled the scene in what appears to be a silver, 4-door, early 2000s model Honda Accord. The Honda has a spoiler on the trunk lid and a glass moonroof. Witnesses reported seeing a white female passenger in the suspect’s vehicle.

Based on the similar description of the suspect and his vehicle, K.P.D. Detectives are looking into the strong possibility that this suspect is Mr. Light.

K.P.D. Detectives are also investigating an additional recent robbery likely involving Mr. Light. On January 6, 2016 at approximately 10:30 PM, Kingsport Police Patrol Officers responded to CVS Pharmacy, located at 128 West Stone Drive in Kingsport. A woman advised that a silver car had followed her into the parking lot.

As the woman stepped out of her car and was attempting to get her 4 year old daughter out of the back seat, a white female suspect exited the silver car and approached. The female suspect began pulling on the woman’s purse in an attempt to steal it.

The female suspect demanded that she relinquish the purse and threatened that her husband was in the car, and that he had a gun and would shoot her. The female suspect pushed the woman into the back seat on top of her daughter. A male suspect who had been driving the silver car approached and began punching the victim in the side of her head.

The suspects were able to gain control of the purse and flee the scene westbound on West Stone Drive. A K.P.D. Patrol Officer soon observed the suspect vehicle on West Stone Drive near Riverside Avenue. A brief pursuit ensued, but the vehicle soon stopped nearby in a back yard on Sevier Terrace. The male suspect fled on foot and was able to escape; however, the female was taken into custody.

The female suspect was identified as Ronda M. Light. Evidence was found in the vehicle directly linking her to the earlier robbery at CVS. Ms. Light was charged with Robbery and confined in the Kingsport City Jail. The vehicle was impounded as evidence and found to be registered to Ms. Light and her husband, Christopher M. Light. Detectives are looking into the strong likelihood that Mr. Light was the male suspect who fled on foot.

All of these robberies remain under investigation with additional charges pending.

43 Years of Age

Kingsport, TN

or

634 Gravely Road

Kingsport, TN

45 Years of Age

Kingsport, TN

Kingsport Police Department Professional Standards Unit