CALERA, AL — Calera police said officers made two arrests in separate incidents after a license plate reader alert and a call from a concerned citizen pointed them to vehicles tied to crimes in multiple states. In the first case, dispatch received a Thursday night alert on July 30 that a vehicle connected to a Tennessee kidnapping had passed one of the city’s tag readers. Officers found the vehicle, carried out a felony traffic stop and safely removed the driver and passenger. Police said the driver was then positively identified as the kidnapping fugitive suspect and taken into custody.
Tag Reader Alert Leads Stop
Police said the city’s tag reader system is set up to notify staff when a suspect plate entered by law enforcement is detected. That technology helped officers locate the Tennessee-connected vehicle after it entered Calera. The department said the response was handled as a felony stop because of the seriousness of the warrant and the need to protect officers and the people inside the vehicle. Authorities did not report injuries in the stop, and both occupants were removed without incident before the driver’s arrest. The department did not release additional identifying details about the kidnapping case in the report.
Citizen Call Starts Second Case
Early Friday morning, officers responded to a different scene after a concerned citizen reported a man passed out in his vehicle at a fast food restaurant. Police said the car was still running and in drive when officers arrived. The vehicle’s tag returned to a different car, and officers said the man appeared to be impaired. A drug detection K-9 was called in and gave a positive indication on the car. Police said evidence recovered appeared to show recent drug use, adding another piece to the investigation at the scene.
Stolen Vehicle And Plates
Investigators later said the vehicle had recently been stolen in North Carolina. They also said the tag displayed on the car had been stolen Thursday night in Prattville from a vehicle that had been burglarized. Police said the suspect is from North Carolina and has active warrants in three states. The department did not list the other states or the exact charges in the public update. The report tied the case to both a stolen car and stolen plate, showing how the vehicle’s identity had been altered before officers reached it.
Chief Praises Patrol Work
Chief David Hyche praised the work of both dispatch and patrol, calling the arrests a result of proactive policing. He said officers were doing an important part of their job by locating and catching criminals, regardless of where the crimes were committed. Hyche also said the department shares as much information as it can while avoiding details that could identify juveniles or put victims and witnesses at risk. He ended his remarks with a light comment that Calera is “bear friendly, criminals, not so much,” underscoring the department’s view that the arrests fit its approach to public safety.
