Suspects arrested in home invasion
By Staff
Jason Cannon, FCT Publisher
Franklin County Deputies rang in the New Year by joining an investigation spanning three counties.
Adam Dwayne Lucas, 22, of Decatur and Ira Joe Harris, Jr., 19, of Town Creek were arrested Wednesday in connection with two robberies in Decatur, a car jacking and robbery in Moulton and a home invasion in Franklin County.
At approximately 8 p.m. Jan. 1, a Domino's Pizza delivery driver was robbed at gunpoint as he left the Studio Nine Motel in Decatur.
The suspect was described as a black male wearing a ski mask, who sped away in a waiting 90's model gold Chevrolet Suburban with a black male driver.
The next day, at approximately 5 p.m. another Domino's driver finished delivering a pizza at Albany Landing Apartments in Southwest Decatur and was robbed by a man matching the description of the first robbery driving the same vehicle.
Later that night, a carjacking and robbery was reported in Moulton involving the same type vehicle.
Not long after the robbery in Moulton, a home invasion robbery was reported in Franklin County.
The pair followed an elderly couple to their home, located on Highway 73, from downtown Russellville. Lucas and Harris allegedly asked the couple to use the phone.
After making a call, the female victim was struck in the head with a large pipe and the male victim was beaten. Lucas and Harris, then, allegedly entered the home and took several items before leaving, Franklin County Sheriff Larry Plott said.
Again, the suspects fled in a gold Suburban. This time, however, Franklin County deputies spotted and pursued the vehicle. The occupants abandoned the vehicle on City Lake Drive in Russellville and fled on foot to escape.
The following day, the owner of the Suburban, Lucas, reported that his vehicle had been stolen from the parking lot of his apartment complex in Southwest Decatur.
Lucas claimed he went to a party in Hartselle with several people who he did not know. Lucas said he blacked out while at the party and awoke in his apartment in to discover his vehicle missing.
Franklin County investigators, Decatur police detectives, Moulton Police Department, Russellville Police Department, and the Franklin County District Attorney's Office conducted a joint investigation.
Police questioned Lucas and his roommate, Harris.
As a result of the investigation, it was determined that the pair were responsible for the robbery of the two pizza delivery drivers in Decatur.
Harris and Lucas were arrested and each were charged with two counts of 1st degree robbery. Lucas was also charged with filing a false police report. Harris and Lucas were transferred to the Morgan County Jail.
Harris was held in lieu of $20,000 bond. Lucas was held in lieu of $20,500 bond.
The pair have been charged with Robbery first, burglary first, assault, and theft of property in Franklin County. If Lucas and Harris make bond in Morgan County, they will be transported to Franklin County and booked here, Plott said.
Note: Melissa Dozier-Cason contributed to this story.
