Alabama Ledger www.AlabamaLedger.com The Sports Ledger www.TheSportsLedger.com Vehicle Pursuit Fort Payne Police Report PAGE 5 June 2026
By Brandon K. Pierce Alabama Ledger
One Arrests •
The following crime report was provided by the Fort Payne Police Department. All persons are presumed innocent until his or her guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. May 5, 2026 Incidents • Theft of Property – Occurred at Wal-Mart, miscellaneous items were taken, valued at $17.08 One Arrest • Micah Leslie McNew, age 51 of Gadsden, was arrested for Theft of Property One Accident with No Injuries May 6, 2026 Incidents • Damaged Property – Occurred at 2000 A Gault Ave N, a quarter panel was damaged on a 2014 GMC Terrain, valued at $300.00 One Arrest • Erick Aldanny Lopez Montejo, age 33 of Fort Payne, was arrested for Public Intoxication Six Accidents with One Injury • An accident occurred at 9th Street SW and Grand Ave SW, Pamela Edmondson Harper, age 50 of Section, driving a 2009 Ford Fusion struck Eva Eloyce Middleton, age 55 of Fyffe, driving a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse. Helen Swesey Rothell, passenger in the Traverse, was transported to Dekalb Regional. May 7, 2026 Incidents • Damaged Property – Occurred at 307 9th Street SW, a back windshield on a 2024 Infinity QX8 was damaged, valued at $500.00 Five Arrests • Erica Leigh Bonds Bolding, age 46 of Fyffe, was arrested on a Warrant for Failure to Appear • A 13 year old juvenile male of Fort Payne was arrested for Theft of Property • Tabitha Dawn Ashe, age 41 of Fort Payne, was arrested on Three Warrants for Outside Agency • Ernest Gay Powell, age 59 of Fort Payne, was arrested on a Warrant for Failure to Appear • Traci Marie Burt, age 33 of Fort Payne, was arrested for Domestic Violence and a Warrant for Outside Agency One Accident with No Injuries May 8, 2026 Incidents • Scam – Occurred at 701 Alabama Ave NW, deposited $130.00 into a scam account • Damaged Property – Occurred at 403 Airport Road W, a quarter panel on a 2025 Genesis G70 and a bumper on a 2014 Honda Accord were damaged, valued at $1000.00 • Damaged Property – Occurred at 300 Sequoyah drive NE Lot 143, a window was damaged, valued at $600.00 Two Arrests • Paul Collins, age 52 of Fort Payne, was arrested on a Warrant for Failure to Appear • Jerrica N Coleman, age 34 of Trion, GA, was arrested for Theft of Property Three Accidents with No Injuries May 9, 2026 No Incidents and One Arrest • Rigo Jimenez Miguel, age 21 of Fort Payne, was arrested for DUI and a Warrant for Outside Agency One Accident with No Injuries May 10, 2026 Incidents • Theft of Property – Occurred at Wal-Mart, miscellaneous items were taken, valued at $35.86 • Theft of Property – Occurred at 1916 Glenn Blvd SW, a 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT was taken, valued at $38000.00 Four Arrests • Cameron Jacob Canales, age 26 of Cleveland, TN, was arrested for DUI • Kayleigh Lannette Norris, age 22 of Fort Payne, was arrested for DUI • Brandon Charles Nichols, age 40 of Section, was arrested for Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia • Santiago Sebastian Pedro Fidelino, age 20 of Fort Payne, was arrested for DUI and Underage Consumption of Alcohol One Accident with One Injury • An accident occurred at Mountain Trace Apt Road, Jillian Aimee Burkhalter, age 33 of Fort Payne, driving a 2016 Chevrolet, struck Hector Juan Manuel, age 26 of Fort Payne, driving a 2016 Ford Mustang. Sandra Mendez Tomas, age 31 of Fort Payne, passenger in the Mustang was transported to Dekalb Regional by Dekalb Ambulance Service. May 11, 2026 No Incidents and Two Arrests • Zachary Thomas Patterson, age 34 of Collinsville, was arrested for Domestic Violence • Anthony Lamont Dorsett, age 50 of Fort Payne, was arrested for DUI Two Accidents with No Injuries May 12, 2026 No Incidents and One Arrest • Matthew Fenton Johnston Jr, age 18 of Fort Payne, was arrested on a Warrant for Outside Agency One Accident with No Injuries May 13, 2026 Incidents • Attempting to Elude Law Enforcement – Occurred at 405 5th Street NE, a 2015 Ford Focus was taken, valued at $500.00 No Arrests and Two Accidents with No Injuries May 14, 2026 Incidents • Criminal Mischief – Occurred at 101 Cracker Barrel Road SW, an automatic door and sensor were damaged, valued at $100.00 • Theft of Property – Occurred at 202 Greenhill Blvd NW, miscellaneous items were taken, valued at $22.00
Anthony Bright Eugene, age 71 of Seymour, TN, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence of any Substance One Accident with One Injury • An accident occurred at Glenn Blvd SW and Grand Ave SW, Robert Adkins, age 81 of Collinsville, driving a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado, struck Johnny Wayne Mann, age 19 of Fort Payne, driving a 2020 Toyota Corolla LE. Mann was transported to Dekalb Regional by Ambulance. May 15, 2026 Incidents • Criminal Mischief – Occurred at 2401 Gault Ave S Lot 5, a tire was damaged, valued at $160.00 No Arrests Six Accidents with One Injury • An accident occurred at Glenn Blvd SW and Briarwood Ave SW, Dexter Antoine Jones, age 29 of Collinsville, driving a 2019 GMC Sierra struck Seth Alan Herod, age 28 of Fort Payne, driving a 2026 98 TR2. Herod was transported to DeKalb Regional May 16, 2026 Incidents • Theft of Property – Occurred at 202 Greenhill Blvd NW, miscellaneous items were taken, valued at $121.41 • Criminal Mischief – Occurred at 1610 Culpepper Ave NE, a computer screen was damaged, valued at $150.00 Three Arrests • Lauren Love Bewley, age 24 of Rainsville, was arrested for DUI • Calderon Edinson Eduardo Ortega, age 22 of Chicago, IL, was arrested for DUI and Reckless Endangerment • Micheal Christopher Bailey, age 52 of Section, was arrested for Public Intoxication Four Accidents with One Injury • An accident occurred at Greenhill Blvd NW and Alabama Ave NW, Kathleen Baker Rigstad, age 63 of Fort Payne, driving a 2016 Nissan Altima, struck Mary Sue Matthews, age 74 of Pisgah, driving a 2026 Toyota. Rigstad was transported to Dekalb Regional by Ambulance. May 17, 2026 Incidents • Lost Property – Occurred at 1201 Jordan Road SW, a Louis Vuitton wallet with contents was lost, valued at $2200.00 No Arrest Four Accidents with One Injury • An accident occurred at Greenhill Blvd NW and Alabama Ave NW, Kathleen Baker Rigstad, age 63 of Fort Payne, driving a 2016 Nissan Altima, struck Mary Sue Matthews, age 74 of Pisgah, driving a 2026 Toyota. Rigstad was taken to Dekalb Regional May 18, 2026 No Incidents Two Arrests • Heath Damon McElrath Jr, age 23 of Fort Payne, was arrested for Domestic Violence • Vickie Carter Craig, age 73 of Fort Payne, was arrested for DUI and a Warrant for Outside Agency One Accident with No Injuries May 19, 2026 No Incidents One Arrest • Oswaldotristan Gallegos Marroquin, age 23 of Collinsville, was arrested for DUI Four Accidents with One Injury • An accident occurred at Greenhill Blvd NW and Wooten Gap NW, James Cody Smith, age 29 of Hammondville, driving a 2003 Dodge Ram, struck Alexa Reyes, age 19 of Fort Payne, driving a 2016 Toyota Camry. Reyes was taken to Dekalb Regional. May 20, 2026 No Incidents One Arrest • Miranda Jade Rains, age 34 of Fort Payne, was arrested for Public Intoxication Three Accidents with One Injury • An accident occurred at Glenn Blvd SW and Burthill Drive SW, a 17-year-old juvenile female driving a 2004 Toyota Camry, left the roadway and struck a guardrail and then a concrete barrier. The driver was transported to Children’s Hospital at Erlanger by Dekalb Ambulance Service. May 21, 2026 Incidents • Damaged Property – Occurred at 2403 Briarwood Ave SW, a hood on a 2026 Toyota Camry was damaged, valued at $2500.00 One Arrest • Dustin Jay Yeadon, age 32 of Rainsville, was arrested on a Warrant for Failure to Appear and Two Warrants for Outside Agency One Accident with No Injuries May 22, 2026 No Incidents No Arrests Two Accidents with No Injuries May 23, 2026 Incidents • Damaged Property – Occurred at 408 Beason Gap Road NE, a quarter panel, headlight, hood and bumper were damaged on a 2023 Nissan Rogue, valued at $3000.00 • Damaged Property – Occurred at 500 Grand Ave NW, a street sign was damaged, valued at $50.00 No Arrests One Accident with No Injuries May 24, 2026 Incidents • Damaged Property – Occurred at 2135 Gault Ave N, a 2009 Ford F 150 and a large glass window were damaged, valued at $3500.00 No Arrest No Accidents
According to Dekalb County Sheriff Nick Welden, on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, Deputies were conducting a traffic safety check point at the intersection of County Road 179 and County Road 433 in Kilpatrick when they observed a Silver Chevrolet Sonic attempting to avoid the check point. Deputies contacted the driver and he was identified as Christian Perez-Lopez, age 24 of Albertville. Authorities observed alcohol and drug paraphernalia in plain view within the vehicle. While law enforcement was attempting to remove Perez-Lopez from the vehicle, he accelerated and drove off, initiating a vehicle pursuit. The pursuit went down County Road 179 at a high rate of speed and Perez-Lopez crossed Highway 68 without stopping at the stop sign. He drove through the parking lot at the Marathon Gas Station and continued onto Highway 168. Perez-Lopez passed several vehicles on Highway 168 and attempted to turn right onto County Road 479 where he reportedly lost control of his vehicle and struck a utility pole. Perez-Lopez exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended by authorities after actively resisting arrest. The Dekalb County Drugs and Major Crimes Unit responded, and a vehicle search was conducted. As a result, Perez-Lopez was arrested and charged with Felony Attempt to Elude, Resisting Arrest, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Criminal Mischief 3rd. Perez-Lopez was identified as a Guatemalan national illegally residing in the United States and will be transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody upon release from the Dekalb County Detention Center. “I am proud of our Deputies for bringing this pursuit to a safe end,” said Sheriff Welden. “Reckless decisions and disregard for the law put our Deputies and the public at risk and will not be tolerated.” Man Dies in Jail An Inmate in the DeKalb County Detention Center has died. According to Sheriff Nick Welden, on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, Corrections Officers within the Dekalb County Detention Center were notified of an unresponsive male inmate, who has been identified as Mark Loveless, age 63 of Somerset, Kentucky. Corrections Officers notified Dekalb Ambulance Service, as well as Fort Payne Fire & Rescue, and began rendering immediate aid to Mr. Loveless until medical personnel arrived. Mr. Loveless was transported to Dekalb Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Per Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office policy on all in- custody deaths, ALEA was notified and the case will be worked by SBI Investigators. The decedent’s body was transported to ADFS Huntsville for an autopsy and his family was notified of his death. No additional information, including the cause of death, was available at press time. Road Rage Shooting A Geraldine man is in jail following a road rage related shooting on Highway 75 near the Painter Community. According to Dekalb County Sheriff Nick Welden, the incident occurred on Monday, May 18, 2026 at approximately 6:25 p.m. Welden noted that Dekalb County Deputies, along with Officers with Geraldine and Crossville Police Departments, responded to the intersection of Highway 75 and County Road 3 in the Painter Community in regard a shots-fired call. Investigators with the Dekalb County Drugs and Major Crimes Unit were also contacted and responded once Deputies on scene determined that a shooting had taken place and a vehicle had been struck by gunfire. During the investigation, it was determined that at least two vehicles had been involved in a road-rage related incident while traveling northbound on Highway 75. It was also determined that the driver of one of the vehicles, a maroon GMC Denali SUV, had fired multiple rounds into the second vehicle’s driver’s side door. The driver of the maroon GMC Denali had then left the scene and went to an address on County Road 822 in Crossville. Investigators responded to that address and contacted the shooter and located his vehicle. Authorities identified the shooter as Russell Nick Vanicelli, age 36 of Geraldine. After a search warrant was applied for and executed, other evidence was gathered from Vanicelli’s vehicle. As a result, Vanicelli was arrested on six counts of Discharging a Firearm into an Occupied Vehicle. The driver of the other vehicle involved was not struck by gunfire and received no major injuries. “There is never an excuse to let anger control you because one poor decision can impact multiple families forever,” Said Welden. “If another driver does something you don’t like, slow down, give yourself and them some space, take a breath, say a little prayer and focus on getting to your destination safely. If the situation becomes dangerous, please contact law enforcement and let them handle it.”
8563 US Highway 431 Albertville, AL
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