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Fighting a Continuing Trend, Millbrook Police Make Multiple Arrests of Area Residents for Theft from Walmart

FROM CHIEF P.K. JOHNSON

MILLBROOK POLICE DEPARTMENT

EDITOR’S NOTE: THESE ARE PHOTOS OF THE SUSPECTS TAKEN FROM THEIR DRIVERS LICENSE, NOT THEIR OFFICIAL MUGSHOT. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY MILLBROOK POLICE DEPARTMENT.

Over the last two weeks Millbrook Police officers have made multiple arrests in theft cases associated with separate incidents of shoplifting that occurred at the Millbrook Walmart.

On May 28, 2020 the following subjects were placed under arrest:

Christine J. Smith, a 55 year-old Coosada resident, for 4 counts of Theft of Property 4th Degree.

Christopher Smith, a 31 year-old Coosada resident, for 1 count of Theft of Property 4th Degree.

Kenneth M. Smith, a 33 year-old Coosada resident, for 4 counts of Theft of Property 4th Degree.

Michelle D. Dorough, a 46 year-old Prattville resident, for 15 counts of Theft of Property 4th Degree.

Darius T. Marshall, a 28 year-old Coosada resident, 1 count of Theft of Property 4th Degree.

Tayler A. Mabry, a 25 year-old Millbrook resident, 1 count of Theft of Property 4th Degree and Providing False Name/Address to law Enforcement .

On June 4, 2020, Millbrook Police placed Alisha Marshall, a 32 year-old Wetumpka resident, under arrest on outstanding warrants for 7 counts of Theft of Property 4th Degree. Marshall had been previously arrested on 5 counts of Theft of Property 4th Degree from the same business.  

This is a continuing trend that we’ve been dealing over the past several years. This is just a sample of the arrests that are made by our officers on a weekly basis. It is a burden on our resources, our municipal court system, and I’m sure it has a negative impact on the businesses and its customers as well.

That being said Walmart has an outstanding loss prevention program and a state of the art surveillance system. We work very well with Walmart’s loss prevention staff to identify and apprehend those that choose to commit these thefts.

Many apprehensions are made at the store as the thefts occur. Unfortunately sometimes offenders are able to leave the business prior to being detected or before law enforcement arrives on scene.

Just because an offender is able to leave the scene does not mean they have gotten away with a crime. As shown with these arrests, this business has been very good to follow up on signing warrants against these alleged offenders and we make it our business to locate these offenders and make sure that they are arrested and prosecuted. We have a Criminal Apprehension Team that is tasked with serving these outstanding warrants as part of their duties.

Several of the alleged offenders listed above were arrested as a result of their efforts. In one instance our officers served warrants on a mother and two adult children that allegedly committed thefts at this business.

I find it both sad and unacceptable that seven people could be responsible for 38 counts of Theft of Property 4th Degree at a single business and a total of 39 criminal charges. To the people committing these crimes and those contemplating doing so, you’ll probably be apprehended right there at the business if you commit theft or any crime. If you’re fortunate enough to leave the property without being detected or apprehended, don’t get comfortable or think you got away.

As some of these individuals found out, we make house calls. We have an outstanding working relationship with our law enforcement partners in the River Region and we will continue to network with them to locate and apprehend you once we have warrants in hand. The better choice would be to avoid our businesses and our city all together if your intent is to commit a crime.

We are committed to continuing to work with our business and law enforcement partners to prevent these offenses and for those we can’t prevent, you can rest assure that we’ll continue to pursue the apprehension and prosecution of those that persist in committing property crimes in our city!