Attempted robbery tied to Vestavia, Tuscaloosa abductions
Hoover police report an attempted robbery has been linked to two abductions.
The attempted robbery occurred around 7:45 a.m. Sunday in the parking lot of the McDonald’s at 1731 Montgomery Highway. A manager reported she was approached by a man with a handgun as she was exiting her car. The suspect demanded cash and the victim’s car keys, according to police.
The victim threw her keys on the ground, yelled for help and ran toward the McDonalds.
The suspect, a white male, and a white female left the area in a blue Volkswagen Jetta with a New Jersey license plate. Police report about 15 minutes later, the same suspect in the blue Jetta committed a home-invasion robbery in Vestavia Hills.
"It appears they drove straight from Hoover to Vestavia," said Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector.
During the home invasion, the suspect entered the victims' garage, said he was having car trouble, then pulled a gun and demanded the keys to the family's car, according to Vestavia Hills police. The suspect also reportedly forced a female resident into the car, a 2010 silver Ford Edge, and they were joined by a white female accomplice.
The male suspect was described as in his mid-30s and bald. The female suspect was described as between 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-10, brownish red hair and wearing a beige jacket.
The victim was dropped off at Grandview Medical Center’s emergency room entrance on U.S. 280, according to Vestavia Hills police. She was not harmed.
The Jetta used in the attempted robbery was found abandoned in Vestavia Hills, according to Hoover police. Detectives also learned the Jetta was stolen during another robbery that occurred in Tuscaloosa earlier on Sunday.
The victim, a male motel employee, was robbed at gunpoint and forced into his own vehicle, according to police, and then driven to the Hoover area. The victim was reportedly in the Jetta during the attempted robbery. He was found unharmed in Vestavia Hills.
Vestavia Hills police have obtained arrest warrants on two suspects, Brittany Harper and Blake Fitzgerald. Both are 31 years old and from Joplin, Missouri. The suspects are considered armed and dangerous, according to police.
Charges for Fitzgerald include one count of first-degree burglary, one count first-degree kidnapping and one count first-degree theft of property. Charges for Harper are first-degree kidnapping and first-degree theft of property. There is no bond on any of the charges.
Hoover detectives are working with Vestavia Hills, Tuscaloosa and other jurisdictions to find the suspects.
Anyone with information about this case can call Detective Drew Mims at 739-7274 or Hoover police at 822-5300.