Sheriff's office asks for public's help in stolen four wheeler case

WINSTON COUNTY - The Winston County Sheriff’s Office is asking for assistance from the public in solving a rash of four-wheeler thefts spanning from the Lynn/Nauvoo area to Natural Bridge to Haleyville. In early February, a Honda Trax four wheeler was reportedly stolen from a residence on County Road 362 in the Haleyville area, noted Sheriff’s Investigator Brad Curtis. Through investigation, they determined that five more four wheelers had been stolen from the Lynn/Nauvoo area, including four taken from a hunting club and one taken from a residence in the Natural Bridge area, Curtis said. The four wheelers stolen from the hunting club include a Yamaha Kodiak, Yamaha Grizzly, Honda TRX, Honda Recon, said Curtis. Also stolen from the hunting club was a utility trailer for a four wheeler, which was possibly used by the suspects in loading up the four wheelers then hauling away the trailer attached to the suspect’s vehicle. At Natural Bridge, the four wheeler was stolen out of the yard of a residence, added Curtis. All of these incidents occurred in the month of February, he said. Also, keys were left in each four wheeler when they were stolen, according to sheriff’s officials. Curtis and Investigator Caleb Snoddy searched for the four wheeler around the Natural Bridge, Lynn, Nauvoo, Haleyville and Carbon Hill areas, they said. Winston County has also worked with the Walker County Sheriff’s office and Lynn Police in attempts of locating these four wheelers. A break in the case occurred on March 27, when Sheriff’s Deputy Josh Silas noticed a four wheeler believed to have been stolen from Haleyville, said Curtis. The four wheeler was located on a Facebook yard sale page, he said. “We had a picture of the four wheeler previous to it being stolen,” said Curtis. Curtis and Silas compared that one to the one listed on the Facebook yard sale page and were able to determine that it was the one stolen, due to the vehicle having two sets of tires on the front and rear and also from tears in the seat, said Curtis. “We determined at this point that it was our stolen four wheeler,” he said. The four wheeler was located in the Fall City area of Walker County, he noted. Curtis went to Fall City Road to conduct a follow up on the investigation. After determining that was the stolen four wheeler, Curtis took a picture of it and sent it to the owner, who indeed confirmed that it was the one stolen, said Curtis. The person who now possessed the four wheeler had traded and purchased the four wheeler unaware that it had been stolen, he said. “He was very cooperative,” said Curtis. Chief Deputy Bryan Kirkpatrick was notified, who got with Operations Manager Brent Porter, who brought a flat bed trailer out to load up the four wheeler and bring it back to the sheriff’s office, where it was picked up by the owner, said Curtis. If anyone has any knowledge of any four wheelers being stolen or any information about the ones mentioned above, please contact Curtis at 205-489-2024. Identification of the caller will remain anonymous, he said. “We’d appreciate any help we could get to recover these items,” Curtis said. “These victims worked hard to purchase these items and it’s not right for a person to come and steal another person’s property. “I take this personally,” Curtis continued. “Us here at the sheriff’s office try to follow up on every complaint and/or theft we get to the best of our ability. “We were fortunate to recover this one, and we’re going to stay the course and continue to follow up,” Curtis said. No arrests have yet been made in the case, which is under active investigation.