Sardis City, Alabama

From the Albertville Sand Mountain Reporter of June 29, 2007

Man captures intruder at gunpoint

Three people apparently didn’t believe in the old saying “three strikes and you’re out,” or else they wouldn’t have attempted to burglarize the same Sardis City home Wednesday morning.

Sardis City police Chief James Alverson said he believes three men were responsible for burglaries on June 21 and Monday of a U.S. 431 South residence and apparently were attempting a third burglary when things didn’t go as planned.

Alverson said a friend of the homeowner was staying at the home Wednesday when he heard a vehicle pull up to the house and blow its horn.

The unidentified friend told police he looked out the window and saw a black truck, with which he was not familiar, in front of the house. A short time later, the doorbell rang, but the friend did not respond.

Alverson said the friend told police that, a few minutes later, one of the men popped open the lock on the back door with a screwdriver and entered the house.

The man then started toward the basement door in what was believed to be an effort to let an accomplice into the house.

The homeowner’s friend, who had a pistol, confronted the surprised burglar and told him, “Don’t you move!”

Believing he might be shot, the man did not move. Then the friend proceeded to take the intruder outside, asking him, “Where’s your other buddy at?”

A man in the pickup truck in the driveway saw his partner being held at gunpoint and quickly drove back to U.S. 431.

The truck’s driver stopped to speak with a second man, parked as an apparent lookout, in a red vehicle near the highway.

The two then waited for the home’s occupant and his captive to approach, at which time the occupant told his prisoner, “You better tell your buddies they just better go on.”

(Long, involved, and interesting story)