The following is an activity report of the Jemison Police Department from Jan. 18-24:

Jan. 18

•Death investigation: 7000 block, County Road 42

•Assault, theft of property: 100 block, Hotel St.

•Littering: County Road 5

Jan. 19

•Theft of property: 25000 block, U.S. 31

•Drug evidence recovered (arrest): Traffic stop, Interstate 65

Jan. 20

•Violation of litter ordinance: 200 block, Chilton Circle

•Open container of alcohol, Traffic Stop: County Road 5

Jan. 21

•Open container of alcohol, Traffic Stop: County Rd. 151

•Drug evidence recovered, driver’s checkpoint: County Road 51 and 152

•Assault, menacing, and reckless endangerment: 300 block, County Rd. 132

•Criminal mischief: 800 block, County Rd. 151

•Driving under the influence, open container of alcohol (arrest): County Rd. 151

Jan. 22

•Assault and menacing: 300 block, County Road 132

•Driving under the influence (arrest): Alabama 191 and County Road 25

Jan. 23

•Unauthorized use of vehicle: Pineview Drive

•Burglary, theft of property: 100 block, Patton Street

Jan. 24

•Criminal mischief: 1000 block, County Rd. 151

•Two-vehicle private property accident (no injuries): County Road 5

The following is an activity report of the Jemison Police Department from Jan. 11-17:

Jan. 11

•Illegal passing of school bus: 9000 block, County Road 42

•Criminal mischief: 500 block, County Road 163

•Theft of property: 24000 block, U.S. 31

•Harassment by communication: County Road 854

•Shoplifting (arrest): Family Dollar

Jan. 12

•Domestic violence (arrest): 100 block, Old Mars Hill Road

•Domestic violence: 500 block, County Road 151

•Domestic incident involving minors: County Road 898

•Failure to appear

Jan. 13

•Armed robbery: 100 block, Patton St.

• Failure to appear

Jan. 14

•Harassment: Eugene Ave.

Jan. 15

•Theft of property, 24000 block, U.S. 31

•Missing person: 200 Princeton Lane

•Two-vehicle accident (two injured): Alabama 191

Jan. 16

•Property dispute: 27000 block, U.S. 31

•Failure to pay for gasoline: 2200 block, Alabama 191

Jan. 17

•Theft of property: Guy Street

•Theft of property (Shoplifting): Hayes Drug

•Drug evidence recovered /traffic stop (arrest): U.S. 31 and County Road 42

The Jemison Police Department recently destroyed 25 seized firearms.

“If we can keep one gun from ending up back on the street—in the wrong hands being used the wrong way—then that’s a good thing,” JPD Chief Shane Fulmer said.

The firearms had been seized over the past several years in gun-related offenses, drug arrests and domestic violence disputes, Fulmer said.

He said such a collection usually continues to pile up in a department’s evidence locker.

“We took the extra initiative to have our court condemn the firearms,” Fulmer said. “Once they cleared the court process, we destroyed what we had.”

Deputy Chief Marc McMinn cut the guns into pieces using a welding gun.

Fulmer said that if the guns had not been condemned by the municipal court and then destroyed, there is a chance they would have had to be given back.

“There’s a chance a court could’ve ordered them given back,” he said. “Once you’ve seized guns like that, it’s a given fact that most departments are going to take guns like that off the street. We didn’t want them back in the wrong hands and didn’t want them sitting in the evidence locker from now on.”

By Stephen Dawkins | Assistant Managing Editor

Chilton County law enforcement has made its first arrest based on the state’s controversial new illegal immigration law.

A Jemison man was deemed to be in the United States illegally and arrested Friday, while a Jemison police officer was acquiring basic information following a minor car wreck in the parking lot of a fuel station just off Interstate 65 Exit 219.

Ruben Gonzalez Ruiz, 44, of Jemison reportedly presented Officer Tera Mayfield with a Mexican passport stamped with a date of 1991.

Alabama’s new immigration bill requires officers unable to determine whether a person is a legal citizen to check that person’s status with the federal agency Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

Eight minutes after a query was sent to ICE through the National Crime Information Center service, Jemison Police received a reply that Ruiz did not have a valid passport and was “subject to removal proceedings,” JPD Chief Shane Fulmer said.

“So he was arrested for violation of immigration law and transported to Chilton County Jail, where he will be held upon adjudication by the Jemison Municipal Court and turned over to Immigration,” Fulmer said.

Though many have spoken out against the new law—including law enforcement officials concerned about the added workload and costs associated with housing more people in the county jail—Fulmer said he must enforce it.

“I sent three officers to immigration law training Wednesday, and [state officials] made it perfectly clear that there is no option,” Fulmer said. “There is no officer discretion when it comes to applying this law and enforcing this law.

“If I’m put in a situation where a law has been broken and I’m supposed to enforce the law, that’s exactly what we’re going to do, regardless of the situation. We’re going to enforce the law.”

Jemison Police arrested two men Sunday charged with stealing money and a gun from B-Mart convenience store.

Joseph Padgett, 20, of Jemison and Troy Vibbert, 19, of Clanton were arrested; charged with burglary second degree, theft of property second degree and criminal mischief; and are being held in Chilton County Jail on bonds of $25,000 each.

Padgett and Vibbert allegedly broke through the front door of B-Mart, located off Highway 31 in the southern part of town, about 2 a.m. Sunday morning, JPD Deputy Chief Marc McMinn said.

A firearm and between $50-$80 worth of change was stolen from behind the store’s counter.

Padgett was arrested about 3 p.m. Sunday, and Vibbert was arrested about 6 p.m.

“A handgun and some of the money was recovered later that night,” McMinn said. “It was just good police work by Sgt. Brandon Wright and Officer Tera Mayfield. A security alarm in the store went off, and Jemison police officers were on the scene just two minutes later.”

By Stephen Dawkins | Assistant Managing Editor

A 48-year-old Jemison man was found dead Sunday just off the side of Highway 155.

Stephen Elrod was last seen Sept. 4 and was reported missing to Jemison Police on Sept. 6 by relatives who had dropped him off at a residence in the area and then became concerned when he didn’t return.

After several days of searching, Elrod was found less than 5 miles from his residence.

An autopsy is scheduled for 8 a.m. Tuesday, Jemison Police Chief Shane Fulmer said.

“We’re looking at it as a death investigation,” Fulmer said and added that there were no obvious signs of foul play. “There were no signs of trauma or of a struggle.”

From Staff Reports

Jemison Police have arrested a Pelham man in connection with a recent burglary at Jemison High School.

Alton William Bean, 54, was arrested Tuesday and charged with burglary and felony theft of property.

Bean allegedly entered the eighth grade wing of the school on Sept. 2 and took a clarinet, music books and other items of value, totaling about $600.

Largely thanks to the school’s surveillance system, JPD investigators quickly developed a suspect and made the arrest in Calera four days after the burglary.

All of the stolen property was recovered inside a vacant house in Calera.

“It is difficult sometimes to identify suspects who are not local people, nor is it that common the stolen property is ever recovered,” Jemison Police Chief Shane Fulmer said. “I am proud of our officers and investigators for doing an outstanding job and delighted that we were able to solve this case.

“The clarinet belonged to a 13-year-old eighth grade student and band member. It is as much gratifying to me and our department that the stolen clarinet will be returned back to this kid as it is solving the case and making an arrest.”

Bean is being held in the Chilton County Jail on a $15,000 bond.

By Stephen Dawkins | Assistant Managing Editor

Jemison Police are looking for a man accused of kidnapping and assaulting a fellow resident of the city and then throwing him out of a moving vehicle.

Rodrigo Aburto Fernandez, 24, is wanted for crimes that allegedly left 18-year-old Jose Alfredo Sanchez bleeding and laying beside County Road 5 on July 31.

Sanchez was transported to UAB hospital via helicopter but first was able to tell officers that his injuries followed him being forced into a vehicle by four masked men on County Road 220.

Sanchez was beaten and cut with a knife and said one of the assailants—Fernandez—removed his mask and told Sanchez the attack was payback for Sanchez signing a warrant against Fernandez in October 2010 for harassment.

“We are 100 percent confident that the motive is that this victim filed charges on him back last year, and [Fernandez] was deported,” JPD Chief Shane Fulmer said. “Apparently the victim was pulled into a vehicle, assaulted and thrown from the moving vehicle onto the side of road, where he was found…bleeding badly.”

Sanchez’s injuries were not life threatening.

The other three suspects in the attack have not been indentified.

A warrant was issued for Fernandez on charges of kidnapping and felony assault.

Fernandez was arrested on Oct. 10 and taken to the Chilton County Jail facing charges of harassment, possessing a pistol without a permit and violation of the prohibition law (having alcohol in his vehicle in a dry county).

“It was determined while he was in jail that the city of Jemison and Clanton had warrants on him as well,” Fulmer said.

Fernandez made bond in January but was turned over to Calera Police Department. He also visited the Shelby County Jail on charges brought by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department before agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported him to Mexico on Jan. 27.

Fernandez was deported again on April 15.

By Stephen Dawkins | Assistant Managing Editor

Many Jemison residents are taking advantage of a rare opportunity: learning more about law enforcement without being issued a citation, arrested or forced to make a court appearance.

The Jemison Police Department’s first Citizens Academy so far has done what organizers hoped it would, offering residents insight in hopes of producing a more educated and aware populace.

“We’ve done everything from traffic stops, troopers, firearms, ride-along programs, worked mock crime scenes, gone over paperwork, turning in case files—they’re getting a lot out of it,” Deputy Police Chief Marc McMinn said. “A lot of them didn’t realize what all went into it until they came in and started doing it.”

Last week, participants heard about the local court system from Municipal Court Judge Craig Cleckley, District Court Judge Rhonda Hardesty, Circuit Court Judge Sibley Reynolds and Juvenile Probation Officer Jessica Messer.

This week, Academy enrollees were scheduled to visit the 911 office in the Chilton County Courthouse.

A tour of the county jail is also planned.

Between 10 and 15 people—ranging in ages from teenagers to those in their 60s—have participated in each session.

Graduation ceremonies will be held on July 5.

“Then we’re going to start making plans to do it next year,” McMinn said.

By Stephen Dawkins | Assistant Managing Editor

Jemison Police are looking for three men who allegedly broke into a local business and stole checks, which were forged and cashed at BB&T Bank in Pelham.

Surveillance cameras at the bank captured images of the men, above.

The checks were stolen from Chilton Contractors, on County Road 29, late at night in mid-May.

The checks were cashed on May 16, and the suspects left the bank with about $3,000.

Nothing else was taken from the business.

“It looks like they just did a smash and grab to see what they could get,” JPD Deputy Chief Marc McMinn said.

Anyone with information about the case should call McMinn or Investigator Jeff Manasco at 688-4492.