DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — New details have emerged about a Decatur robbery that led to a police chase, wreck, and ultimately, one death on Wednesday.
As previously reported, one person was killed in a wreck on Highway 31 after a robbery at Home Depot. Both suspects, now identified as Theodore Breach III and K. Dupre Baxter, were taken into custody. The road was not reopened to drivers until 8 p.m. Wednesday night.
Decatur Police have now provided background information on what led to the deadly Highway 31 crash.
Police say officers were dispatched to Home Depot, located at 1225 Wimberly Drive SW, at 3:13 p.m. Wednesday afternoon in reference to a robbery.
A citizen was able to get the tag number and vehicle description for the suspect’s car before officers arrived on the scene.
Officers say the suspect’s vehicle was spotted on Highway 31 and when they tried to stop the vehicle, it sped away over the Tennessee River Bridge. A high speed chase ensued on the highway toward Athens before the vehicle ran off the road, struck a sign post, and crashed near Calhoun Community College.
Once they got to the vehicle, police say they found the driver, Alfondzo Lafonz Hewlett, 25, of Athens, dead. Two passengers fled into the woods. ALEA troopers say Hewlett was not using a seat belt when he crashed.
Decatur Police was assisted by Athens Police, Limestone County Sheriff’s Office, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) in their manhunt for the other two suspects. They were eventually found inside the Carpenter Technology building where they were taken into custody without incident.
Officials say Breach was taken to the hospital due to injuries sustained in the crash. A warrant for first-degree theft was obtained for his arrest.
Baxter was charged with theft in the second degree. He was booked into the Morgan County Jail on a $2,500 bond.
Decatur Police say an investigation led to the determination that the stolen items cost more than $2,500. Due to this, police say they will be asking that Baxter’s charge be upgraded to first-degree theft.
Police clarified that while the initial call was a robbery, an investigation determined that the incident was a felony theft due to the fact that the suspects did not use force against the employees of Home Depot.
