BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Four men from Illinois were captured by authorities in Kentucky after allegedly breaking into Hoover’s Riverchase Galleria and stealing over $30,000 worth of merchandise, according to police.
Around 2:24 a.m. Wednesday, the Hoover Police Department responded to an alarm call at Belk located inside the Riverchase Galleria. Responding officers discovered that a group of suspects used tools to force entry to the business to steal merchandise, police said.
According to a press release from HPD, the suspects stole high-end purses and handbags with an estimated value of over $34,000. A suspect vehicle was quickly developed and broadcasted to law enforcement agencies in surrounding areas and states.
Later the same day, troopers with the Kentucky State Police later observed the suspect vehicle traveling north on I-65 in the area of Bowling Green and engaged in a pursuit, ultimately capturing four suspects and recovering evidence from the Galleria robbery.
According to police, the suspects do not have any known ties to Alabama and are believed to have traveled to Hoover specifically to commit this crime. Hoover detectives with the Crimes Against Property Unit are currently in Kentucky in order to secure evidence and collaborate with law enforcement as the investigation continues.
Warrants were obtained from the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office in Birmingham for the following:
- Patrick Allen Dudley, (23) of Calumet City, IL
- Monroe Corey Shivers, (30) of Chicago, IL
- Alexis Kammy Trader, (31) of Chicago, IL
- Fontain L. Plummer, (36) of Chicago, IL
Each suspect is charged with third-degree burglary and first-degree theft of property, with bonds totaling to $45,000 each. The arrangements for extradition to Alabama are currently pending.
They are currently being held in the Warren County Jail in Kentucky where they are each facing charges of engaging in organized crime, receiving stolen property and possession of burglary tools. Plummer also faces additional charges of driving over the speed limit, fleeing or evading police, wanton endangerment and driving without a license.