Three individuals have been arrested and charged with burglary and theft related offenses, according to Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin.
Joseph Pritchett, 19, Tabrelle Moore, 20, and Jebrionte Miller, 20, all of Gadsden, have been charged with Burglary 1st and Theft of Property 1st, states Investigator Josh Morgan.
Sheriff's
deputies and Gadsden police officers responded to a 911 call of a home
invasion in the Whorton's Bend Community at approximately 10:30 p.m. Thursday night.
The
911 caller reported that he and his wife were in an upstairs bedroom
and could hear someone inside their home. While on the phone with the
dispatcher, the couple locked themselves in a bathroom until deputies
and officers arrived.
Quickly,
the deputies and officers encountered an individual coming out of a
broken window of the residence. Despite the deputies commands, the
individual went back into the home. The deputies and officers
surrounded the house to ensure the intruders did not escape while
waiting on back-up to arrive.
The Etowah County Joint Special Operation Group entered the residence and took the two homeowners to safety.
An
additional search of the home was conducted by other law enforcement
officers on the scene. The three intruders were found in an area of the
attic in the residence and were immediately taken into custody.
At
the time of arrest, the individuals were in possession of firearms,
which were later determined to be stolen. The individuals also had
jewelry from the home in their pockets.
"Last
night's event could have resulted in tragedy, if not for the actions of
deputies and officers that went beyond their duty in locating and
apprehending the intruders. Their action clearly ensured the safety of
others," said Sheriff Entrekin.
Agencies
that assisted the Etowah Sheriffs Office were: Gadsden Police
Department, Etowah County District Attorney's Office, Southside Police
Department, Etowah County Joint Special Operation Group and Etowah
County Drug Enforcement Unit.
The three individuals are being held in the Etowah County Detention Center on $50,000 cash bond on each offense.
