Children linked to Alabama church vandalism among 6 involved in I-65 chase
Prattville AL Nov 11 2021
Six kids ranging in age from 11 to 14 were taken into custody Tuesday morning following a police chase that began on I-65 in central Alabama.
Some of the juveniles in Tuesday’s chase, officials said, were the same juveniles involved in the October vandalism of St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church in Somerville.
Authorities said the church sustained “thousands of dollars of damage.”
The chase Tuesday began about 8 a.m. when state troopers tried to stop a stolen 2008 Ford Expedition on I-65 near mile marker 219, said Trooper Sgt. Jeremy Burkett.
The driver of the SUV refused to stop, and the chase continued into Prattville where the fleeing vehicle struck several other vehicles.
Prattville police assisted troopers by deploying spike strips to deflate the SUV’s tires. Moments later, the SUV crashed into two other vehicles at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Main Street in Prattville.
Burkett said the SUV was occupied by six juveniles: an 11-year-old, a 12-year-old, two 13-year-olds and two 14-year-olds.
The 14-year-old will be charged with first-degree receiving stolen property, first-degree assault, speeding, attempting to elude and reckless endangerment.
The other kids are not expected to be charged with any crimes, but the investigation is ongoing. The kids were both male and female.
Mike Swafford, the public information officer for the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, said three of the juveniles involved in the chase and subsequent crash were runaways out of Morgan County.
Investigators on Tuesday morning received a report of a juvenile runaway, he said. Later in the morning, they received a call from ALEA in Montgomery asking if they were missing three kids – a 14-year-old male and two females, ages 13 and 11.
“We confirmed three of the people in their case were the three we were looking for,’’ Swafford said.
Swafford said some of the juveniles involved in the chase are linked to the church vandalism.
Morgan County Sheriff Ron Puckett said one 11-year-old girl, one 13-year-old girl, and two 14-year-old boys were identified as being responsible for the vandalism and faced burglary and criminal mischief charges.
They had been returned to the custody of their parents pending court proceedings.
Swafford said the juveniles involved in Tuesday’s chase were getting medical treatment from the crash and would be returned to Morgan County at some point.
