Pizza delivery robber arrested

Dothan, Al.
Jamar Deion Williams, black male, 18 years of age, of East Newton Street was arrested and charged with First Degree Robbery with a $175,000 bond.
 

On January 4, 2011 the Dothan Police Department responded to a robbery at the intersection of State Avenue and Basin Street. Upon arrival, police learned the victim was delivering a pizza to a residence in the 700 block of State Avenue.  The instructions with the order said for the driver to call when she got there, which is what she did. She said the person who answered told her she just passed him, and he would be standing by the street.  She said she pulled up to a car on the side of the road, where five black males were standing.  She said she was met when she got out of her car by a very dark skinned black male, about 5’8 to 5’10 tall, stocky build, about 200 pounds with a full beard, but no mustache.  He was wearing a black jacket, and dark pants, and appeared to be approximately 20 years old.  Also present was a very slender black male, who looked to be about 16 years of age, very slender build, also wearing dark clothes.  She said the older male was counting money, so she handed the younger male the pizza.  While she did that the older male put his hand in pocket, and pointed towards her, as though he were holding a pistol pointed at her, inside his jacket.  He then told her to give him whatever money she had in her pockets and the victim complied.  She said the younger male then gave her back the pizza, and soda, and they both fled on foot towards the wood line at the end of Basin Street. 

Investigators have worked diligently in this case following numerous leads that have lead to an arrest. Police say a First Degree Robbery warrant was signed for the robber, Jamar Deion Williams, on January 6, 2012. Williams was taken into police custody shortly after investigators obtained the warrant.

Neighbors detain man they find under bed in woman's home, call Tuscaloosa sheriff's office, burglary charge filed

TUSCALOOSA, Al.
Neighbors who knew the resident was away wondered why her door was standing open after midnight early today and decided to look into the matter.
What they found was a man hiding under a bed inside the home in the 13000 block of Deer Chase Road, according to a Tuscaloosa Sheriff's Office statement. So they called for help and "detained the suspect until deputies arrived," the report says.
Arrested and charged was Gavin Wyatt Reach, age 30. Reach faces a third-degree burglary charge and was held under $15,000 bond. 

Retired Alabaster teacher charged with fourth count of sexual abuse

ALABASTER, Al.
Retired Shelby County elementary school teacher Daniel M. Acker has been charged with a new fourth count of sexual abuse. This latest charge is of first-degree sexual abuse and bond for it is $500,000.

Daniel M. Acker

The fourth count, stemming from a second case, was added this afternoon, according to Deputy Police Chief Curtis Rigney. The other three charges of sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old were announced Thursday. His total bond amounts now stand at $545,000.
According to Rigney, the victim in the second case alleged Acker would come to her home while her mother was not there. The girl, who was 11 at the time, said Acker molested her in the home.
When questioned by detectives, Acker admitted he had molested the child, Rigney said.
Acker, 49, was a fourth-grade teacher and a school bus driver until his retirement in 2009. He worked from 1985 until 1991 at Thompson Elementary School; at Creek View Elementary, 1991-2000; and at Thompson Intermediate, 2000-2009.
"This investigation is still ongoing, and we do anticipate more charges in the near future," Rigney said. "We are working closely with the Shelby County Board of Education and the Alabama Department of Human Resources in this investigation."
Acker is being held in the Shelby County Jail.
Anyone with information concerning this investigation is asked to call the Alabaster Police Department at 663-7401.

Montgomery man turns himself in for throwing boiling water on woman

Brian Crumpton

MONTGOMERY, Al.
A Montgomery man is behind bars after turning himself in for throwing boiling water on a woman.
45-year-old Brian Crumpton turned himself in Thursday for his role in the assault. Police say the assault happened around 8 p.m. Dec. 30. The victim was treated at Jackson Hospital and transferred to UAB for additional treatment.
Crumpton was charged with second-degree assault and is being held in the Montgomery County Detention Facility on $15,000 bond.

Baldwin County man charged with murder in Robertsdale slaying

ROBERTSDALE, Al.
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man today in connection with a slaying that occurred in the early morning hours in the Wilcox area near Interstate 10.

Aaron Thomas Cart

Aaron Thomas Cart, 26, was charged with murder in the death of Dennis Ray Wilcox, 55, Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack said. Deputies arrived at the home in the 27000 block of Wilcox Road to find Wilcox suffering from a single gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene, Mack said.
He said that the Sheriff's Office was alerted at about 1 a.m. today, after Wilcox was found dead by his son, who had just returned home.
Cart, who has no established residence, was an acquaintance of Wilcox and his son and had stayed at the victim’s home, possibly as recently as two weeks ago, Mack said. Cart was arrested at a residence on Patterson Road within a mile of the homicide scene, Mack said. Cart is originally from the area, and had returned after living in New Mexico for a period of time, Mack said.
“We’re confident that Mr. Cart committed this murder, but we’re still putting together how it happened and some of the why it happened,” Mack said at a press conference Saturday afternoon at the Sherrif’s Investigations Office in Robertsdale.
Cart was being held without bail at the Baldwin County Corrections Center in Bay Minette, Mack said. He is set for a bail hearing at 1 p.m. Monday, District Attorney Hallie Dixon said.
Dixon said she could not comment on whether there would be additional or higher charges. Cart also has an active misdemeanor harassment charge, which does not involve the victim, Dixon said. Cart was released on $500 bail on the harassment charge last month, according to jail records.
“I have someone that will be filing a motion to revoke the bond on that so that he will be held not only on the murder, but also he will not be able to be released on that harassment,” Dixon said.
Wilcox was a employee of Walmart in Foley, Mack said. The family did not wish to issue a statement, but may do so in the future, the sheriff said.

Ex-Montgomery County judge ready to settle misconduct charges, her lawyer says

MONTGOMERY, Al.
A former Montgomery County judge is asking a court to approve an agreement with Alabama's Judicial Inquiry Commission to settle civil misconduct charges against her.

Judge Patricia Warner

The attorney for former Family Court Judge Patricia Warner, Charles Dauphin, says the settlement will be taken up by the Court of the Judiciary on Jan. 27.
According to Dauphin the proposed settlement is very favorable to his client and would reduce the ethics charges to the equivalent of "a judicial speeding ticket."
Warner retired in June days before authorities charged her in a 74-count civil complaint that accused the judge of taking thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from casino owner Milton McGregor while she presided over a case involving his daughter.
The judge has denied any wrongdoing.

Ex-Russell County deputies sentenced to prison

MONTGOMERY, Al.
Two former Russell County deputies were sentenced to prison Friday by a federal judge, stemming from the Nov. 26, 2010, beating of a handcuffed man in Smiths Station.

U.S. District Judge Mark E. Fuller sentenced Timothy Watford, 42, to 34 months in prison late Friday afternoon and to pay more than $5,000 in restitution, to the victim, Patrick Harrington, 32. Watford was convicted by a federal jury to deprivation of rights under color of law on Sept. 1.

Kirby Dollar, 37, agreed to make a guilty plea last August in exchange for a possible reduced sentence. Fuller obliged Friday morning, issuing a punishment of 46 months in prison, also with more than $5,000 in restitution payable to Harrington.

“Good police officers have to be trusted and we must rely on them to do their jobs,” U.S. Attorney Nathan Stump told the court before Dollar’s sentence was read. “We expect more of our police officers than this.”

The judge agreed but also made note of the victim’s criminal history.

“There is no dispute that Mr. Harrington has displayed his inability to follow the law,” Fuller told the court. “But we cannot have individuals in these positions (officers) violate the public’s trust.”

“These convictions and sentences demonstrate that the use of excessive force cannot be tolerated," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. “The vast majority of police officers do an outstanding job in protecting both the community and the rights of the accused, even in stressful situations. But when police officers use excessive force to punish arrestees, they will be held accountable.”

On the night of Nov. 26, 2010, Dollar, Watford and former Phenix City police officer Rachel Hauser were at a party at Dollar’s home when they received word that bail bondsmen had apprehended Harrington — who was wanted for outstanding warrants and had a criminal history — at a Smiths Station garage.

The officers, who were off duty, arrived at the garage in a squad car and found Harrington already handcuffed by the bail bondsmen, who said they called the officers as a courtesy.

In prior court testimony, both Dollar and Watford admitted they struck Harrington, who suffered permanent injuries to his right eye and leg and a ruptured ear drum.

“The man was assaulted after he’d been brought to the ground, tased twice and handcuffed,” Stump told the court. “He was not provoking anyone. He didn’t bring this upon himself. In many cases, law enforcement officers have to walk a fine line. This wasn’t that situation. They were off duty and out of jurisdiction. Mr. Dollar left a family party to go beat this man up and take vengeance against a man who was unarmed.”

In prior court testimony, Dollar said he intended to beat the victim upon arriving at the garage. Watford said he simply slapped Harrington after the wounded victim spat blood on him after Dollar’s attack.

Hauser was not charged in the incident.

Dollar, Watford, Hauser, former Russell County Sheriff Tommy Boswell and the city of Phenix City are still defendants in an $8 million civil lawsuit by Harrington, who is alleging civil rights violations and emotional distress.