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PAGE 2A May 2026
Authorities Arrest Sixteen For Drugs
During the month of April, DeKalb County Authorities reported that 16 individuals were charged with drug related offenses According the DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden, on April 1, 2026 DeKalb County Deputies were conducting a traffic safety checkpoint on County Road 179 and County Road 433. While on the checkpoint Deputies observed a vehicle turn around to avoid them. Deputies stopped the vehicle and made contact with the occupants who were identified as Frances Nicole Bass (36 of Scottsboro) and Damien Lane Walker (28 of Albertville). While speaking with the occupants, Deputies could smell marijuana and conducted a vehicle search. Marijuana and Drug Paraphernalia was recovered from the vehicle and both were charged with Unlawful Possession of Marijuana 2nd and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Also, on April 1, the DeKalb County Drugs and Major Crimes Unit observed a stranded motorist in the roadway on County Road 507. Upon making contact with the driver, he was identified as Anthony James Masino (40 of Ider) and it was found that he had active warrants. During a search of the vehicle Agents found methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Masino was charged with Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. On April 3rd, DeKalb County Deputies and Henagar Police went to a residence on County Road 85 due to a Domestic Violence incident in progress. Upon arrival they made contact with the victim in the front yard. While attempting to make contact with the other subject, identified as Jacob Ryan Stewart (39 of Fort Payne), began fighting with Law Enforcement and while fighting attempted to dispose of a THC Vape. Stewart was charged with Domestic Violence 3rd, Resisting Arrest and Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance. On April 7, Collinsville Police responded to the Travelers Inn due to a Domestic Violence incident in progress. Upon arrival they made contact with Eric Crane (49 of Fort Payne). During a search, Officers found marijuana, THC vape and drug paraphernalia. Crane was charged with Unlawful Possession of Marijuana 1st, Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. On April 12, a Dekalb County Deputy was patrolling on County Road 169 near the Cartersville Community when he observed a Ford Focus pass by without a license plate. The Deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle and the driver fled, eventually coming to a stop on a dead-end unpaved road near a residence. The driver, later identified as Vanessa Taylor Whitmoyer (30 of Trenton, GA), fled the vehicle on foot and was apprehended after a search involving multiple Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office Deputies as well as Dade County Georgia Sheriff’s Office Deputies. During a search, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were found. The Dekalb County Drugs and Major Crimes Unit responded and Whitmoyer was charged with Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Attempt to Elude. On April 13, a Dekalb County Deputy observed a vehicle sitting in the parking lot of a closed business at the intersection of Highway 75 and Marshall Road in Rainsville. As the Deputy approached the vehicle, he
Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle on AL Highway 117 near Mentone Market for failure to signal a turn. Upon making contact with the driver, identified as Vinson Demetrius Mckennie (28 of Huntsville), it was determined that he did not possess proof of insurance for the vehicle. During the course of the traffic stop, a Dekalb County K-9 Deputy responded. At the conclusion of the K-9 deployment, K-9 Blazer gave a positive alert. During the vehicle search, over a pound of marijuana was found concealed within the vehicle. Mckennie was arrested for Unlawful Possession of Marijuana 1st and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. On April 27, authorities attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by George Travis Roach (46 of Calhoun, GA) near Jordan Road SW and AL Highway 35 in Fort Payne. Roach refused to stop his vehicle and fled at a high rate of speed towards I-59. A vehicle pursuit was initiated and Dekalb County Deputies, ALEA, and Fort Payne Police Officers came to assist. The pursuit went northbound and continued several minutes, with Roach eventually leaving the interstate and traveling to Gault AVE N. Near the intersection of Gault AVE N and 55th Street, Roach left the roadway and collided with a Dekalb County DMCU Agent’s vehicle. Roach then collided with a block wall and flipped his vehicle over an embankment, coming to a stop. Roach was quickly apprehended, and an inventory search of the vehicle was conducted. During the inventory search, over 3 lbs. of methamphetamine, over 40 grams of cocaine, two different types of controlled substance pills, and drug paraphernalia was found within the vehicle. Roach was transported to the Dekalb County Jail and charged with Felony Attempt to Elude, Criminal Mischief 1st x2, Reckless Endangerment, Resisting Arrest, Drug Trafficking-Meth, Drug Trafficking-Cocaine, Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance (x2), and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. On April 28, a Deputy responded to the 800 block of County Road 611 in Valley Head in regards to a caller stating a suspicious vehicle was parked at a residence where no-one had lived in several years. Upon arriving on scene, the Deputy made contact with Johnny Elkins (35 of Valley Head), Katelynn Scott (28 of Trenton, GA), and Breanna Collins (31 of Bridgeport). Deputies observed Collins attempting to hide drug paraphernalia and observed Scott attempting to destroy a baggie containing methamphetamine. It was discovered that Elkins and Scott had warrants with the Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office and during a search of Elkins’ person, drug paraphernalia was found. During a search of the vehicle, drug paraphernalia and methamphetamine were found. Elkins was charged with Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, FTA (Traffic) x3, FTA-Attempt to Elude, FTA-Unlawful Possession of Marijuana 2nd, FTA-Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, FTA-Unlawful Possession of Marijuana 1st, FTA-Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance (x2), FTA-Obstructing Justice Using False ID. Scott was charged with Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Collins was charged with Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Bondsman off Bond-Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance.
observed the driver slumped in the seat of the vehicle. Upon making contact with the driver, identified as Timothy Jay Beavers (36 of Rainsville), it was discovered he had warrants with Rainsville Police Department. Beavers was detained on this warrant and a substantial amount of methamphetamine along with drug paraphernalia was discovered on Beavers’ person. The Dekalb County Drugs and Major Crimes Unit responded and Beavers was charged with Possession w/ Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. On April 14, a Dekalb County Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for improper lane usage near the AL/GA state line on Highway 75. Upon making contact with the driver of the vehicle, identified as Melissa Marlene Cunningham (45 of Flat Rock), the deputy discovered she had multiple warrants with the Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office as well as a warrant out of Hamilton County, TN. Cunningham was detained on those warrants and a vehicle search was conducted. During the vehicle search, clonazepam, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were discovered. Cunningham was charged with Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, FTA-Marijuana 2nd, and FTA- Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. On April 19, a Dekalb County Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for driving on the wrong side of the highway on County Road 835. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Marcos Ramirez Jimenez (21 of Fort Payne), and while speaking with Jimenez the deputy observed a firearm in the vehicle. Jimenez was asked out of the vehicle and it was discovered he had warrants with the Albertville Police Department. During a search of the vehicle, psylocibin was found. Jimenez was charged with Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance, Addict in Possession of Firearm and his outstanding warrant with Albertville Police Department. On April 23, A Dekalb County Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for speeding and improper lane usage on US Highway 11 near Hammondville. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Robert Lee Crocker (36 of Fort Payne), and during the course of the traffic stop the Deputy suspected that Crocker was potentially impaired and asked him out of the vehicle to perform Standardized Field Sobriety Testing. At the conclusion of SFST, Crocker was arrested for DUI-Any Substance. During a search of the vehicle, a Suboxone strip, Suboxone pills and firearms were found. Crocker was charged with DUI-Any Substance and Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance. Also on April 23, a Dekalb County K-9 Deputy conducted a traffic stop on AL Highway 117 in Mentone on a vehicle for no license plate. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Roger Brian Steele (52 of Fackler), and during the course of the traffic stop the Deputy deployed his K-9. At the conclusion of the K-9 deployment, K-9 Blazer gave a positive alert and Steele was asked out of the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were found. The Dekalb County Drugs and Major Crimes Unit was notified and Steele was charged with Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. In a third incident on April 23, a Dekalb County A seven-month-old child was kidnapped in Henagar and later located by authorities unharmed. According to Dekalb County Sheriff Nick Welden, on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at approximately 10:00 p.m., the Henagar Police responded to MJ Fuels after the child’s parents reported that their 7-month-old had been kidnapped by a man they had been traveling with. The Dekalb County Drugs and Major Crimes Unit responded, and an area-wide BOLO was put out for the endangered child and the suspect’s vehicle. It was determined during the investigation that the suspect, identified as Selvin Alirio Reyes-Lopez (29 of New Jersey) had left the gas station in a white Ford Expedition traveling west bound on Highway 40 in the direction of Jackson County. At approximately 11:15 pm and while in the process of issuing a nationwide Amber Alert, Dekalb County 911 was notified that Madison Police Officers had located the vehicle and Reyes-Lopez in Madison, Alabama and had also found the child unharmed. Investigators with the Dekalb County Drugs and Major Crimes Unit and Henagar Police Officers responded to the suspect’s location where he was arrested for Kidnapping 2nd Degree. It was determined during the investigation that Reyes-Lopez had indicators of being involved in Human Smuggling. Additionally, Reyes-Lopez was found to be a Guatemalan national illegally residing within the United States and the Department of Homeland Security will be assisting in this case.
Child kidnapped and found unharmed
Submitted Photo
On April 16, 2026, Brad Anthony Roden, age 39 of Fort Payne, was arrested for Possession of Child Pornography. After an investigation into the allegations, a search warrant was issued and carried out by the Fort Payne Police Departments Tactical Unit. Roden was arrested without incident and charged with 9 counts of Possession of Child Pornography. He was booked into the Fort Payne City Jail and then transported to the Dekalb County Detention Center with a $270,000.00 bond. Authorities noted that more charges are expected as the investigation continues.
Submitted Photo
Selvin Alirio Reyes-Lopez
On May 11, 2026, additional warrants were obtained on Reyes-Lopez for two counts of Human Smuggling under Alabama Code 31-13-13.1. These warrants were served on Reyes-Lopez while he was incarcerated in the Dekalb County Detention Center. “This arrest is the result of phenomenal teamwork, and I am so thankful this baby is safe and sound back at home where it belongs,” said Welden. “Protecting children from those who seek to exploit them is one of the most important responsibilities we have in law enforcement.”
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