Police arrest three suspects in July 2016 attempted homicide

Three suspects indicted on charges related to a 2016 attempted murder are now in custody at the Hamilton County Jail, according to a news release.

Antonio Watkins, 25, Lejuane Norris, 22, and Dequan Fuqua, 19, are charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault.

The suspects “did unlawfully, intentionally and with premeditation attempt to kill Natasha Jones” on July 4, 2016, the indictment states.

Jones, then 31, was critically injured by a gunshot at around 2 a.m. that day, the Times Free Press previously reported. She drove herself to the hospital and was immediately taken into surgery. Officers found multiple bullet holes in the vehicle she drove to the hospital.

“The Chattanooga Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit began a thorough and extensive investigation that ultimately resulted in the Hamilton County Grand Jury indictments on Watkins, Norris, and Fuqua on January 28, 2019,” reads a Wednesday evening press release from the police department.

Watkins was arrested on Monday and Norris and Fuqua were arrested Tuesday. In addition to the murder and assault charges, Watkins was charged with a parole violation for possession of cocaine.

Watkins has been described by police as a high-ranking member of the Gangster Disciples.

In April 2015, he was arrested after police found stolen handguns, cocaine, marijuana and a police badge inside a home known to police as a gathering spot for Gangster Disciples.

The badge belonged to an officer who had reported it as lost the month before.

As Watkins was being booked into the Hamilton County Jail, he asked the arresting officer for his name and suggested he might put a hit out on the officer, the Times Free Press previously reported. Watkins later claimed he was just kidding.