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Man captures intruder at gunpoint
Published June 30, 2007
SARDIS CITY — Three people apparently didn’t believe in the old saying “three strikes and you’re out,” or else they wouldn’t have attempted to burglarize the same Sardis City home Wednesday morning.
Sardis City police Chief James Alverson said he believes three men were responsible for burglaries on June 21 and Monday of a U.S. 431 South residence and apparently were attempting a third burglary when things didn’t go as planned.
Alverson said a friend of the homeowner was staying at the home Wednesday when he heard a vehicle pull up to the house and blow its horn.
The unidentified friend told police he looked out the window and saw a black truck, with which he was not familiar, in front of the house. A short time later, the doorbell rang, but the friend did not respond.
Alverson said the friend told police that, a few minutes later, one of the men popped open the lock on the back door with a screwdriver and entered the house.
The man then started toward the basement door in what was believed to be an effort to let an accomplice into the house.
The homeowner’s friend, who had a pistol, confronted the surprised burglar and told him, “Don’t you move!”
Believing he might be shot, the man did not move. Then the friend proceeded to take the intruder outside, asking him, “Where’s your other buddy at?”
A man in the pickup truck in the driveway saw his partner being held at gunpoint and quickly drove back to U.S. 431.
The truck’s driver stopped to speak with a second man, parked as an apparent lookout, in a red vehicle near the highway.
The two then waited for the home’s occupant and his captive to approach, at which time the occupant told his prisoner, “You better tell your buddies they just better go on.”
With a pistol trained on their partner, the pair apparently were convinced they had better not try anything or there would be dire consequences. They left the scene, but would be picked up later.
The homeowner’s friend then proceeded to escort his captive, at gunpoint, about a quarter of a mile to the Food Valu grocery store to summon help.
He had decided not to go back in the house for fear the others might return and cause him more difficulty if he were inside the house.
According to Alverson, upon reaching the store, the situation became somewhat confused as people at the store had no idea what was happening, apparently thinking two men were going to rob the store.
Alverson and officers from the Boaz Police Department arrived. They had received several telephone calls regarding two men with a gun. They policemen were uncertain about the situation, as well.
Alverson said they were able to secure the gun at the scene and discover from the homeowner’s friend what had actually happened.
Alverson and the other officers went to the house to investigate the scene. Alverson then called the Etowah County Sheriff’s Department, which arrived and began an investigation.
The pickup truck used in the incident was abandoned, with the door open and the keys still inside, by the thieves in the Food Valu parking lot on U.S. 431, Alverson said.
It was discovered the truck had been stolen previously from a residence near Mountainboro.
The owner was in the process of calling police to report the theft when the police called him to tell him they had recovered the truck.
Because the burglary incident is still under investigation, Etowah County sheriff’s Chief Investigator Paul Williams requested the names of the trio not be released until the investigation was completed.
A full report was expected to be ready by Monday, Williams said.
Alverson said in the previous two burglaries, the thieves had taken a total of nearly $7,000 in items.
Included in the two thefts were such items as cameras, guns, rolled coins, a television set, a leaf blower, knives, jewelry, food out of the freezer, drinks, tools and Elvis Presley collectables.
Alverson felt the final investigation might lead to solving a number of burglaries in the area.
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