Daylight Burglary Results in Pursuit and Two Arrests

Jacksonville, AL – On Monday, October 11, 2022, at approximately 6:40 the Jacksonville Police Department responded to a report of an automobile burglary in a residential driveway. The victim, Jacksonville City Councilwoman Sherry Laster, reported that her doorbell camera captured a white female entering the driver side of her vehicle and removing a purse. The female then ran down the driveway towards a motorcycle that helped her to escape the area.

Mrs. Laster stated she and her husband were inside the residence when her doorbell camera captured the woman at approximately 4:45 and did give them a notification of movement in the driveway but she explained, “We have sweet kids that play next door, and we assumed it was just them playing.” When Councilwoman Laster was getting ready to leave for the scheduled city council meeting, she went out to her car and noticed that her purse was missing. She went back inside the residence, believing it may have been inside, but was still unable to locate it. Mr. and Mrs. Laster watched the doorbell camera recording to learn they were victims of theft.

When the Jacksonville Police Department was notified many of the officers that responded went to surrounding convenient stores in an attempt to locate the suspects. Two of the officers went to the Dollar General located on Hwy 204 and observed a white male ducking down near a motorcycle and white female walking in the parking lot towards the same direction. The officers attempted to initiate contact with the two people and the white female, later identified as Dannielle Faye Lynn Reynolds, 28, of Odenville, began to run from them. The white male, later identified as Derek Andrew Spurgeon, 38 of Attalla, got onto the motorcycle and also fled the scene in a different direction. The JPD officers advised other responding officers of the motorcycle direction of travel and continued to pursue Reynolds on foot capturing her quickly. Reynolds was taken into custody and transported to the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office Jail Facility.

Due to the advantage of the time it took officers to catch up to Spurgeon he was able to avoid capture that evening. Officers and Investigators were able to learn that Spurgeon resided in Attalla at an apartment so on Tuesday they requested that the Attalla Police Department see if he had returned home. Officers from Attalla were able to make contact with Spurgeon and notified Jacksonville. Investigators responded to the apartment and spoke with Spurgeon. While conducting their investigation they were also able to locate some of the personal effects of Mrs. Laster in his possession. Spurgeon was taken into custody and transported to the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office Jail Facility where a hold has been placed by the Jacksonville Police Department so he can be transported back to Calhoun County when he is released.

Chief Marcus Wood stated, “We have learned that neither person resides in Jacksonville and come to this city specifically to commit this type of crime. This is still an ongoing investigation, and we will look at every possible avenue.

Councilwoman Laster spoke with the Calhoun Journal and stated “I am glad these people were caught so quickly. I am also grateful my family is safe and that that the Jacksonville Community as a whole is safer due to the quick and professional work from Jacksonville Police department. I hope that this can be a reminder to others to report quickly to the police and work with them to help keep Jacksonville safe. People often think that all the police do is write tickets, but that is not true. They are always out on the streets working to keep us all safe and when I needed them, they were there, and took two brazen and dangerous people off the street. I already had respect for Chief Wood, but now I have a deep appreciation. I hope most of the public never needs their help, but I know if they call, JPD will answer that need.”