DPD: March 4 fires not related

Published 11:53 pm Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Demopolis Police Department chief Tommie Reese said there doesn’t appear to be a connection between the March 4 trailer fire at the corner of Ash and Monroe streets and the car fire that happened earlier that morning on North Cedar Avenue.

“From all indications, (the car fire suspects) were not involved in the trailer fire,” Reese said.

According to DPD reports, a shooting incident on Rainbow Circle late in the early-morning hours of March 4 led to a car being set on fire later that morning. Joe Davis, of Forkland, was arrested for discharging a firearm in an occupied building and for criminal mischief (first degree). Also arrested in connection with the car fire were Alonzo Winters and James Green, both of Forkland. They were charged with criminal mischief (first degree).

Email newsletter signup

Davis is alleged to have had a dispute at the Rainbow Circle residence, fired a weapon and left the scene, returning to Demopolis with more guns in his vehicle. Upon arriving in Demopolis, he and the other two are alleged to have set a car on fire on Cedar Avenue that belonged to the Rainbow Circle victim. While responding to the fire, police officers spotted Davis’s vehicle and stopped it, later making the arrests.

The trailer fire was reported just a few hours later — just five blocks from the scene of the car fire — but officials now believe the two fires were not related.

Demopolis police officers arrested a juvenile in connection with the car fire. He was charged with criminal mischief (first degree).

In an unrelated case, a Demopolis man was arrested Monday night after attempting to rob a shopper at Food World.

According to Demopolis Police Department reports, Charles Young, 52, was charged with theft of property (second degree) and criminal trespassing (third degree).

According to the reports, at 7 p.m., Young entered the grocery store and stole a purse from another shopper from her shopping cart. The victim notified another customer about the suspect. When the suspect attempted to flee, store employees and the victim attempted to stop him.

“When he fled the scene, the victim and the store owner tried to catch him,” said DPD chief Tommie Reese. “He had a walking cane, and he raised it up at them, but we found him and the purse, and he was taken into custody.”

Young was located behind the store by patrol officers and taken into custody.