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Police officers were dispatched to a robbery at a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Leeds, Alabama, on January 2, in which the suspect had a weapon.
The suspect, 32-year-old Kaudija Shondrelle Haynes, threatened to use mace while in the drive-thru of the Chick-fil-A as she ordered an employee to give her a currency bag.
Haynes recklessly fled the scene while putting innocent lives at risk, and police officers tracked her to the Wind Creek casino in Wetumpka, where she was likely gambling with the money stolen from her robbery.
She was taken into custody with the help of both the Wetumpka Police Department and Poarch Creek Tribal Police Department on the same day after crashing her car following collisions with multiple trees.
“We are proud that none of the employees or customers were injured,” stated Chief Paul Irwin.
“This individual endangered employees while fleeing and when she attempted to elude law enforcement in Wetumpka. She put others in danger and could have killed herself. It shows that addiction will cause someone to do anything to gamble or use drugs. Our employees immediately took action once this occurred to identify, locate and communicate with other dedicated law enforcement officers to bring this individual to justice.
“We are very thankful for the Poarch Creek Tribal Police Department and Wetumpka Police Department for their response to our requests and apprehending the defendant. Teamwork and Cooperation is what makes communities safe!”
Just this week, Huntsville police arrested a man suspected of being involved in an illegal gambling operation in the state.
A SWAT team carried out a search warrant early Tuesday morning, January 6, as part of the ongoing investigation. This follows another case back in October, when a 20-year-old man was arrested in Fort Payne after authorities searched three business locations and discovered 38 illegal gambling machines.
According to statistics from BeautifyData, robbery was the second most common type of crime in Alabama in 2024. A total of 1,753 incidents were reported that year.
The robbery rate was 33.99 per 100k, ranking this type of crime higher than rape, murder and non-negligent manslaughter.
Featured Image: Leeds Alabama Police Department via Facebook
