Score One for the Good Guys!
Nice guys may finish last, but thieves embarrass themselves on the evening news.
You may have seen the report on the news recently about the gentleman who drove up the wrong way on the exit ramp onto JR Allen Parkway and found himself stranded in the median with three bare rims and flames coming from the engine of his car. Well "his" car was actually a stolen vehicle, and when he realized it was no longer operational, he then tried to carjack someone else to get away from the authorities. At this point, a few concerned citizens tackled him and held him until the police arrived. If you did not see the news report, you can catch it here.
This may have nothing to do with Fire, Wind, and Water Damage, BUT we at Homemaster were not seeing this particular fellow for the first time when he showed up on the news the other night. He has starred in a few films in recent months. These movies were taken by security cameras at a few local businesses, one of them being Homemaster. You may have seen the still photos on our Facebook page showing him "borrowing" things from our place of business. We were able to get a shot of his vehicle tag and share with the police; however, they were unable to catch up with him before he worked his sticky-fingered magic at East Alabama Supercenter in Smiths Station. He "borrowed" a vehicle from the car dealership and was also caught on their security cameras. Thanks to the hard work of Meg at East Alabama Supercenter, social media, and a well-timed tip, police started closing in the suspect.
Fast forward to Tuesday, January 27, where time had run out for this opportunistic thief. Even his desperate last-ditch effort to evade the police failed, and he was taken into custody. Hopefully he will not be allowed to continue his escalating criminal exploits in the future. Thanks to the Columbus Police Department for apprehending him, and prayers are being sent for the two officers injured in the incident. Thanks also to the civilians who were not afraid to jump in and stop this man from carjacking another vehicle and getting away. Also, thank you to all of our social media network for sharing our status and keeping their eyes open for clues. You guys are AWESOME!
Val Staples is a mom, mini-farmer, medical student, and a freelance blogg
c. 2015
