25-year-old man accused of stalking Memphis mayor, approaching home with stun gun

USA Today

19-06-2025

25-year-old man accused of stalking Memphis mayor, approaching home with stun gun
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Killed, wounded Minnesota state lawmakers honored at vigil
Neighbors gathered to honor state Rep. Melissa Hortman and state Sen. John Hoffman. Hortman was killed and Hoffman was wounded in separate shootings.
Police say they found a stun gun, gloves, rope, and duct tape in the suspect's vehicle.
The suspect scaled a wall and went directly to the mayor's residence, according to security footage.
This incident follows a recent attack on Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses.
Memphis, Tennessee, police arrested a man who allegedly trespassed into Mayor Paul Young's gated neighborhood late on June 15, finding a stun gun, gloves, rope and duct tape in his car.
Trenton Abston, 25, was arrested June 18. He is charged with aggravated criminal trespassing and stalking, two misdemeanors. Shortly after first appearing in the criminal court system, Abston had felony attempted kidnapping added to his list of charges.
"At the time of his arrest, officers recovered a Taser, gloves, rope, and duct tape from his vehicle. The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming," the Memphis Police Department said in a statement posted to Facebook.
"Upon further review of both public and private security camera footage, we have determined that the suspect did not approach multiple homes, as initially reported. Instead, after scaling a wall, the individual went directly to the Mayor's residence."
According to a police email obtained by The Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network, a man jumped over a fence to Young's East Memphis neighborhood and knocked on his door around 9:30 p.m. on June 15. The man left the house before police could speak with him, but his face was recorded on a doorbell camera.
According to a police affidavit, Abston's car was "captured by video systems in the immediate area of Paul Young's residence on multiple occasions between May and June 2025."
When Abston was apprehended, police say he "admitted to researching" Young's house and driving by it to confirm he lived there.
"He admitted to waiting until Sunday evening to go to the residence to confront Paul Young about crime in the city of Memphis and stated he was angry at Paul Young and was armed with a Taser when he went to the residence," the affidavit said.
"Given the expressed motivation and anger toward the victim, multiple visits to the victim's neighborhood or home, the admitted recent purchase and possession of rope and duct tape, the climbing of a wall surrounding the victim's private gated neighborhood at night, approaching the residence armed with a Taser and knocking on the victim's door, Abston took substantial steps toward the commission of a kidnapping," the affidavit added.
Police credited "the rapid response of our officers and the use of camera technology throughout the neighborhood" with how they were able to identify the man.
According to the criminal court system, this was the first time Abston had appeared in court aside from two traffic tickets.
Incident comes after Minnesota shootings
The alleged trespassing came amid heightened tensions for politicians after a Minnesota man allegedly broke into multiple homes and shot two state lawmakers and their spouses in the early hours of June 14.
Two people, Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman, were killed. Two more people, Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman, were injured in a separate incident.
It was also the second run-in with potential danger Young has faced since being sworn in as mayor. In March 2024, Young was grabbed by a man attempting to get into his vehicle. Young was uninjured in that incident, and his security detail was able to prevent the man from entering the car.
A 'small amount of pepper spray' was sprayed at the man in that instance, City Communications Director Penelope Huston said at the time.
Young, in a statement posted to Facebook after the arrest alongside a picture of his wife and children, said online rhetoric has been leading to violence in recent months.
"In today's climate, especially after the tragic events in Minnesota and the threats my wife and I often receive online, none of us can be too careful. The link between angry online rhetoric and real-life violence is becoming undeniable," Young wrote.
Lucas Finton covers crime, policing, jails, the courts and criminal justice policy for The Commercial Appeal.