In a daring act of thievery, Cody Denning found himself in hot water as he was apprehended and subsequently charged with a string of offenses, including burglary, theft of property, and vandalism. The incident took place at Underdog Collectibles in Knoxville, where Denning’s actions led to a loss nearly totaling $22,000 for the store, all in the form of 17 prized autographed jerseys.
The Knoxville Police Department wasted no time in reporting the situation, highlighting Denning’s destructive entrance by smashing through the store’s front window before making away with the valuable jerseys. The series of events began to unfold on the late evening of May 18, with Denning appearing to scope out the jerseys during an initial visit. Surveillance footage captured his initial interaction with the sports memorabilia around 8:50 p.m., where he could be seen inspecting and shuffling the jerseys, hinting at the premeditation of his crime. Unbeknownst to the store at the time, Denning even mentioned his plans to his wife, indicating his intentions to return for the jerseys later that night.
Denning wasted no time in executing his heist, returning in the wee hours of the morning to forcibly break into the store through the shattered window. The theft was split into two separate raids, with Denning making off with the autographed jerseys during his criminal escapades. His attempts to offload some of the stolen goods were flagged when he tried to peddle two of the jerseys at a nearby sports retailer, Pro Image Sports located in West Town Mall. The watchful eyes of the law enforcement team also noted incriminating evidence in the form of missing hats from the store appearing in the surveillance footage from Denning’s vehicle, further cementing his involvement in the burglary.
In the aftermath of the burglary, Underdog Collectibles turned to social media platforms to enlist the help of the community in tracking down the stolen jerseys. They issued a plea for anyone who might come across the jerseys to promptly reach out to them for verification. By providing unique serial numbers for each jersey, the store aims not only to identify the perpetrator but also to facilitate the return of the stolen merchandise back to its rightful place.
Although the store suffered minimal physical damage and no individuals were harmed during the break-in, the urgency to reclaim the stolen merchandise remains at the forefront of their efforts. Underdog Collectibles continues to seek the public’s cooperation in spotting the stolen jerseys to thwart any further attempts at theft and aid in the successful recovery of the pilfered items.
