By Gary Lloyd
PINSON — A couple of Pinson kids fled from their home Monday as a man attempted to break in.
At about 11:30 a.m. Monday, deputies responded to a report of a burglary in progress at a residence in the 5200 block of Highland Trace Circle in Pinson. A 14-year-old girl and her 9-year-old brother were home alone when a man they didn’t know began breaking into their house. They called their mother and she contacted the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, said Chief Deputy Randy Christian. The children ran from the home to a neighbor’s residence, Christian said.
William Thomas
photo courtesy of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office
Deputies arrived to see 50-year-old William Robert Thomas, of Birmingham, climbing out a window. Upon seeing deputies, Thomas dropped three remote control devices taken from the house and ran into a nearby wooded area, Christian said. Deputies established a perimeter around the area and Thomas was captured a short time later. The children weren’t harmed.
Thomas told deputies he had been out jogging and didn’t know anything about a burglary. He offered no explanation for his vehicle being parked in the victim’s driveway, Christian said.
Thomas was charged with second-degree burglary and second-degree theft of property. He was taken to the Jefferson County Jail, where he posted $30,000 bond and was released at about 10:30 p.m. Monday.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.
