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In a dramatic turn of events on Sunday afternoon, two suspects made a hasty escape from a Walmart in Calera, Alabama, leaving behind a trail of chaos that involved four children and sparked a multi-agency police pursuit. The Calera Police Department reported that the two individuals fled the scene with two children in tow, while astonishingly abandoning two others at the store.
The incident unfolded around 2:20 p.m., when officers were alerted to a retail theft at the Walmart. The suspects, now on the run, headed north on Highway 31 before veering onto Highway 87 and merging onto I-65 South. During the high-speed chase, officers observed the reckless driving of the suspects, who put the lives of the children in the vehicle at risk.
With the situation escalating, assistance came swiftly from Chilton County agencies and Alabama State Troopers. The pursuit reached a critical point when troopers deployed spike strips to disable the suspects’ vehicle after it dangerously traveled the wrong way on the interstate. The suspects made a final, futile attempt to escape on foot but were quickly apprehended.
Among the two arrested was a suspect from Montgomery, now facing a slew of charges including felony attempting to elude, reckless endangerment, child abandonment, retail theft, and a staggering 16 traffic violations. The second suspect’s arrest revealed an extensive criminal background, with 46 previous arrests across four states and existing felony warrants that called for extradition at both state and national levels. This individual was subsequently handed over to the custody of the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office.
The second suspect was discovered to have 46 prior arrests in four different states, as well as multiple felony warrants with both statewide and nationwide extradition. The second suspect was released to the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office.
“Fleeing the police in a vehicle is stupid,” Calera Police Chief David Hyche said in a statement. “Doing it with kids in the car is horrific and I don’t know what to say about leaving two kids at Walmart while you try to escape with your stolen electronics. Stealing is a gamble. Stealing in Calera is gambling in a casino where the house always wins. Our law enforcement partners to the South are amazing. We wouldn’t have caught these two today without Chilton Co. Jemison, Clanton and ALEA. I also want to commend the Walmart staff for always doing a great job working with us to stop retail theft. Retail theft makes prices higher for all of us.”
DHR was notified to care for the four children involved.