Burglaries In The Ramer And Pintlala Areas

The recent rash of burglaries in the Ramer and Pintlala area of the county has caused a great amount of concern for the citizens who live in those areas. A town hall type meeting was recently held in Ramer to try to put those concerns to rest. Rumors were rampant and were spreading quickly. Commissioner Reed Ingram and Chief Derrick Cunningham met with the folks recently and most of them were satisfied that we had the problem pretty much under control. It is like a few years ago when the rumors were spreading that there was a B/M who was wearing a bullet proof vest and carrying an assault rifle committing burglaries from Pike Road to the County line. There was a rash of burglaries being committed at that time but the suspect had taken these items during one of the burglaries and when we caught him, he had already sold both the vest and the rifle. He wasn't armed during his arrest. I am glad that the Ramer meeting was held because people were able to get information firsthand about the burglaries. We would like to thank everybody who showed up for the meeting.

As it turned out there were three or four different groups, all from the city, that were committing these burglaries. We flooded the south part of the county with deputies by changing assignments and paying overtime. It came in handy when a home owner on Highway 94 was driving by his home when he saw a vehicle backed up to his house. He got a good description and called us. Deputy Greg Thompson found the car and was able to apprehend three suspects. We called for the Kilby tracking team and for the State Trooper helicopter when the fourth suspect decided he was going to run into the woods. That was a bad mistake for him. He was taken into custody after a two hour chase. I guess he thought that he was in the city where he has probably run before and was able to hide. With the assistance of the dogs and the helicopter, there are not many places to hide in the woods, especially when you are not familiar with the area. All property taken in the burglary, except for a small pistol was recovered in the car. Jazzmine Briggs, Christina Luster, a juvenile and Marlon Ambers have been charged with the burglary and theft and are suspects in other burglaries in the area. Ambers has an extensive record, including being a registered sex offender.

We also experienced some burglaries where mostly jewelry was taken. It turns out that Timothy Clark was our suspect in these cases. He was out on bond in Montgomery, Autauga and Elmore counties for several jewelry burglaries. Clark has been re-arrested and is now stuck in jail until a Judge has a bond hearing on him.

We also had several burglaries during the last month or so in the Woodly Road/Mt. Zion Road area that were similar to several burglaries in other parts of the county. It turns out that two men working for a meat sales company were using the door to door sales angle to case the houses and, if the owner was not at home, just break in then. If the owner was home they would later come back and hit the house. Steven Hornsby and Anthony Vila have warrants signed on them for some of these burglaries, but they have taken off to parts unknown. Hornsby has relatives in Elmore County and in North Alabama and Vila is from up north around PA. We have a nationwide lookout placed on them and it is just a matter of time before they are apprehended. Of course both of them have previous records and are not new to the system. We have been able to recover part of the property they took.

I know that it seems like crime is high because of the number of recent burglaries but we are about average in the county. Since 2007 we have averaged 242 burglaries per year and this year we are around 230 with a month and a couple of weeks left in the year. Of course the holiday season is upon us and burglaries usually pick up. Many of these thieves do their Christmas shopping by committing these burglaries. Make it a little harder on them. Alarm your house with an audible alarm. A thief does not like noise and will spend a lot less time taking your property if there is a lot of noise being made. Be aware of your surroundings and call the Sheriff's office if you see something suspicious. Don't call the local store or a neighbor before you call us, give us a chance to check it out. Don't allow strangers to come into your house. They may be legitimate, but they could also be like Hornsby and Vila. Consider getting a dog, a big one that barks and looks like it will bite or a little one that barks a lot. Join your local neighbor watch and attend the meetings. The Sheriff's Office attends these meetings and we keep the members updated on what is going on in their neighborhood. If you need to know about meetings in your area, call Christie Vasquez at 832-1339 and she will get the information you need.

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Hope you had a happy and safe Holiday Season and enjoy the football games. Remember if you have a few brews, please do not drive. always have a designated driver and arrive home safely.

We wish each one of you a very Merry Christmas. Please help some needy families in Montgomery County and have a Merry Christmas by coming to the WalMart on Ann Street on December 7 between 7 a.m. and 12 noon and donate a toy to the Deputy Sheriffs Association toy drive. Each year our deputies help several needy families to have a better Christmas by playing Santa to their kids. If you can't make it out to WalMart, Call Jackie at 832-2515 or Christie at 832-1339 and we will arrange to come to you and pick up your donation.

Merry Christmas!