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Wlaf1450Caryville man accused of stealing from a man’s gym locker, another man’s gym bag at fitness center
LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- Within a handful of hours, La Follette Police investigators methodically tracked a suspected thief to Knoxville where he was placed under arrest.
Security cameras, a Flock camera, mobile phones, assistance of businesses and cooperating neighboring law enforcement partners all aided La Follette Police in their hunt for a wanted Caryville man, Chris Rouse.
Once the first of two victims finished his afternoon workout at Workout Anytime 24/7 on Tue., Sep. 2, he opened his locker and discovered he’d been robbed. Missing items included his black wallet which contained a drivers license, debit card, credit card and work ID badge.
The man checked on his credit card account and learned a charge of $57.85 from Ross Dress For Less, next door to Workout Anytime 24/7, had been applied to his card minutes earlier.
LPD Officer Justin Tackett checked the security footage from Ross and Workout Anytime and allegedly watched Rouse, the suspect, pull up in a light blue Honda Odyssey minivan and park it in the lot in front of the gym, walk in the gym, bypass the check-in line in the front and go directly into the men’s locker room. The officer then saw Rouse leave the locker room, put something in his pocket and exit the gym.
The security camera footage revealed that Rouse got into his minivan for a moment, then exited and walked over to Ross. Inside Ross Dress For Less, Rouse made four purchases with the victim’s credit card and then returned to his vehicle.
A short time later, the victim discovered another charge to his account. This one was at Casey’s convenience store and gas station on Merchants Drive at Knoxville, just off I-75 Exit 108. Officer Tackett called Casey’s, and the manager confirmed that the blue Honda was in the parking lot, and the suspect was allegedly currently pulling out more money from their front machine.
The license plate on the Honda was covered, and a Casey’s employee removed the cover stating it was tag BQT-4257. Officer Tackett shared the license number with LPD Sergeant Timothy Collingsworth who, in turn, tracked the plate on the Jacksboro Pike at Mullis Lane Flock camera. The camera showed the blue Honda, plate BQT-4257, passing by at 4:50 that afternoon heading west.
Sgt. Collingsworth ran the license plate coming back to a female at 222 Herron Lane, Caryville. The sergeant contacted Caryville Police Officer Cody Fox asking about the suspect and the person who owns the Honda, and the officer gave a possible suspect name of Christopher Rouse. LPD compared the suspect photo it had with a picture of Rouse and confirmed they were the same person.
Knoxville Police Officers found Rouse and the minivan after Rouse had allegedly made three withdrawals at the Casey’s on Merchants Road. The police report details that Rouse had more than $700 in his possession along with the victim’s wallet, credit card, debit card, drivers license and work ID badge. Rouse told Knoxville Police that he found the wallet in the parking lot at the Casey’s, based on the report. KPD arrested Rouse for crimes committed in Knoxville stemming from the original incident that happened in La Follette.
The next day, Wed., Sep. 3, LPD Sergeant Adam Southern was dispatched to the police station lobby in reference to a theft report at the same workout facility involving a separate offense. The sergeant spoke with another victim who explained that he had a black G-Shock watch and a tan CRKT pocket knife missing from inside his gym bag on the previous date and time, the same time the original victim, who was stolen from, was present.
Last Saturday, LPD Patrolman Tavian McCullah transported Rouse from the Knox County Jail to the Campbell County Jail. Officer McCullah met up with fellow LPD Officer Justin Tackett at the Campbell Jail and served the remaining warrants to Rouse.
While speaking with Rouse at the jail, the officers asked about a black G-Shock watch, and Rouse allegedly stated he had a watch in his belongings. When asked if it was the stolen watch from the fitness center, Rouse stated that it was not his watch or his knowledge that he owned the watch, according to the police report.
Officer Tackett made contact with the second victim and asked him to describe his stolen watch, and he described it exactly like the watch recovered from Rouse, stated in the police report. The officer returned the watch to the victim at his home.
Christopher D. Rouse, 42, 222 Herron Lane-Caryville, was charged with credit card/automatic teller machine fraud, two counts of larceny/theft offenses, identity theft and burglary/breaking and entering.
Rouse, who is due in court this morning, remains housed in the Campbell County jail on a $30,000 bond. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-09/11/2025-6AM)