Photo courtesy of Hoover Police
Blake Edward Fitzgerald and Brittany Nicole Harper
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office in Florida has confirmed that Blake Fitzgerald, a suspect in an attempted robbery in Hoover and abduction in Vestavia Hills on Sunday, is dead.
Brittany Harper, the female suspect in the two cases, was wounded, taken into custody and taken to a hospital for treatment.
Hoover police obtained warrants for Fitzgerald and Harper, both Missouri residents, on Tuesday. Both Fitzgerald and Harper were charged with first-degree robbery.
The attempted robbery occurred around 7:45 a.m. Sunday in the parking lot of the McDonald’s at 1731 Montgomery Highway in Hoover.
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 McDonald's.
The suspects left the area in a blue Volkswagen Jetta with a New Jersey license plate. Police reported about 15 minutes later, the same suspect in the blue Jetta committed the home-invasion robbery and abduction in Vestavia Hills.
Vestavia Hills police responded to the home-invasion report around 7:58 a.m. When they arrived at the home, the husband reported a man had entered his home through the garage. The suspect said he was having car trouble, then pulled a gun and demanded the keys to the family's car, according to police. The suspect also reportedly forced the victim's wife into the car, a 2010 silver Ford Edge, and they were joined by a female accomplice.
After taking the car, the suspects reportedly drove east on U.S. 280, dropped the victim off at Grandview Medical Center's emergency room entrance. She flagged down a passerby who brought her back home.
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.
Fitzgerald and Harper were also wanted for an armed robbery and kidnapping case in Perry, Georgia.
The Escambia County Sheriff's Office has a press conference planned for 9:30 a.m. This post will be updated as more information is released.