Sabrina Bates, News Editor
Posted: Friday, September 11, 2009 11:32 am

Local authorities have issued a dozen charges against a Gleason man for his alleged connection with the Sunday rape of a student enrolled at University of Tennessee at Martin.
During an arraignment Thursday afternoon in Weakley County General Sessions Court, Bruce A. Tuck, 35, of Gleason appeared solemn as Judge Tommy Moore read the list of charges filed against Tuck Thursday morning by the Martin Police Department.
From Sunday’s alleged incident alone, the list of felonies lodged against Tuck include:
• Aggravated burglary
• Vandalism
• Three counts of aggravated robbery
• Two counts of aggravated rape
• Aggravated sexual battery
• Three counts of aggravated kidnapping
• Employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony.
Tuck is accused of breaking the glass of a back door and entering a home on Raven Street in Martin Sunday morning. According to the affidavit, Tuck brandished a small, black semi-automatic handgun and threatened three victims inside the home.
He allegedly bound all three victims before sexually assaulting the UTM student, the report states.
Utilizing DNA recovered from the scene as well as evidence taken from Tuck’s Phelps Street residence in Gleason, investigators were able to connect Tuck with the home invasion rape on Aug. 30, according to MPD Chief David Moore.
At Tuck’s arraignment, the suspect revealed he had worked at Wal-Mart Supercenter in Martin for only a short period of time. When Judge Moore asked how much money Tuck had, he replied he had none and could not afford an attorney to represent him in the case.
Judge Moore appointed 27th Judicial District Public Defender Joe Atnip to the case.
State Attorney General Tommy Thomas requested no bond for Tuck as he was the subject of four additional sex assault cases in Weakley and Shelby counties.
“For the safety of the community and your safety as well, I am ordering you held without bond,” Judge Moore told Tuck during his Thursday afternoon arraignment.
The general sessions judge set a preliminary hearing for 1 p.m. at the Weakley County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday, Sept. 9.
“I understand that date is not that far away and your attorney may request the date to be pushed back. Your attorney can also request a bond hearing at any time,” Judge Moore added.
Investigators are working to discover a connection to four other sex assaults that occurred within the last two months – two home invasion assaults that took place in Martin and two incidents in Shelby County.
Each of the victims describes their attacker as a white male, weighing approximately 230-250 pounds and with a large belly, wearing a mask and carrying a black handgun.
WCP 9.08.09