Decatur man charged with Hartselle burglary
Feb. 14—A Decatur man was arrested Thursday after allegedly breaking into the Hartselle Civic Center and stealing several items on Sunday, according to an affidavit by a Hartselle police investigator.
Cody Lance Hitt, 34, was charged with third-degree burglary and booked in the Morgan County Jail in lieu of a $2,500 bond, according to the Hartselle Police Department. Police said he was located and apprehended by the Cullman Police Department at a hotel there.
The affidavit said Hartselle police responded to a burglary call at the civic center, and after reviewing video footage, determined a white Ford F-250 with a utility bed and a small utility trailer "backed into the shop door causing the door to open where he then entered and stole multiple tools from the buildings."
Hitt's truck and trailer were identified by license plate readers, known as Flock cameras, that detected his trailer tag, according to the affidavit. The affidavit said police determined a Miller Millematic 250 welder was stolen from the Hartselle Park and Rec buildings and Hitt had posted the item for sale on Facebook. The investigator said Parks and Rec employees positively identified the welder as belonging to the city.
Hartselle police said Hitt will likely face more charges as the investigation continues.
— wesley.tomlinson@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
2 hours ago
Ex-Texas US Rep. Blake Farenthold, who left office amid harassment allegations, dies at 63
Former Texas Republican U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, who left Congress amid sexual harassment allegations, has died. He was 63. He died in a Corpus Christi hospital and suffered heart and liver problems in recent years, Steve Ray, his former longtime political consultant, said. Farenthold's wife, Debbie Farenthold, confirmed that he died Friday. Blake Farenthold was elected in 2010, upsetting long-serving Democratic U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz. Seven years later, Farenthold announced that he wouldn't seek reelection. In a video he posted on his campaign's Facebook page at the time, he denied a former aide's three-year-old accusations, which included that he'd subjected her to sexually suggestive comments and behavior and then fired her after she complained. He apologized for an office atmosphere he said included 'destructive gossip, offhand comments, off-color jokes and behavior that in general was less than professional.' He said in the video that if he stayed in Congress, he would have spent months trying to vindicate himself. 'We all make mistakes,' Ray said Saturday. 'He made some mistakes.' Ray described him as a 'techie' who was interested in the internet and technology before getting involved in politics. 'He did a tremendous job as congressman for this area,' Ray said, noting that Farenthold cared about fighting crime and promoting transparency. 'His heart was really always in the right place.' Before becoming a congressman, Farenthold was a sidekick for a conservative radio talk show host, Ray said. 'When he decided to run, nobody in the world thought he was going to win,' Ray said. When he left office, Farenthold started his own radio show, which he continued until he died. In addition to his wife, Farenthold is survived by two adult daughters, Morgan Baucum and Amanda Lawrence, Ray said.
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Bowling coach had been messaging 17-year-old victim before murder-suicide, her father said
A Michigan bowling coach who fatally shot a 17-year-old girl in her home had been sending the teen inappropriate messages before the killing, her father claimed. The tiny community of Bedford Township, Michigan, about an hour south of Detroit, has been reeling since news emerged that Ryne Leist shot and killed one of his young charges, 17-year-old Gwendolyn Smith, before authorities say he killed himself. As community discussion of the June 14 tragedy unfolded on Facebook, allegations of creepy behavior from Leist emerged before one resident urged others to not to jump to conclusions. Advertisement That's when Smith's father Levi jumped in. 'I've seen enough of the emails he sent my daughter before he killed her to know it's not speculation,' Levi Smith cryptically posted in a Facebook discussion group for Bedford Township. 4 Gwendolyn Smith had just graduated high school two weeks before. Matthew Kennerson/Facebook Advertisement 'He deserves to rot in a special hell,' Smith said of Leist, 33. Leist volunteered as the coach of the bowling club at Bedford High School, where Gwendolyn Smith was on the team. He is believed to have shot the girl multiple times in her stepfather's home, authorities said. Smith's stepfather returned home at around 6 p.m. to discover the mortally wounded teen and her alleged killer. Gwendolyn Smith, described as a 'kind,' 'talented' and 'extraordinary young woman,' had just graduated high school two weeks before. Advertisement 4 Levi Smith said he'd seen the emails Leist sent his daughter. Facebook/Heather Smith Former friends and classmates of the Leist meanwhile, told a different tale about the coach. 'I do remember him being a loner,' said Monica Mckenzie. 'Somehow he slipped through the cracks.' Kara Thornton said she knew Leist when she was 15 and he was 20. Advertisement 'He got my name tattooed on his arm. We never dated, I never wanted to,' said Thornton, who now lives in Hawaii. 4 Thornton said Leist got her name tatooed on his arm even though they never dated. 'He would try sleeping with me and my friends, he'd meet us at parks and then drive us to the middle of nowhere, giving us alcohol…he was always so gross, always trying to date underage girls,' she claimed. 'A few years back he was trying to be a 'photographer' to take nudes of women,' she added. 'It's hard looking back and realizing how f—d it all was, haven't thought about him in years.' 4 Leist was a volunteer bowling coach with the Bedford High School. WTOL 11 It's unclear if Leist broke into the victim's stepfather's home or was let in, said authorities, who didn't specify the nature of the relationship between the two. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office did clarify that 'Gwendolyn did not consider the relation between the two of them to be romantic.' Advertisement Smith's death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner's office, and Leist died of suicide. Leist volunteered as a coach with the school's bowling club, a gig he'd obtained through his employment at the local bowling alley. He had recently resigned from that position. Levi Smith could not be reached for comment.
San Francisco Chronicle
4 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Ex-Texas US Rep. Blake Farenthold, who left office amid harassment allegations, dies at 63
Former Texas Republican U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, who left Congress amid sexual harassment allegations, has died. He was 63. He died in a Corpus Christi hospital and suffered heart and liver problems in recent years, Steve Ray, his former longtime political consultant, said. Farenthold's wife, Debbie Farenthold, confirmed that he died Friday. Blake Farenthold was elected in 2010, upsetting long-serving Democratic U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz. Seven years later, Farenthold announced that he wouldn't seek reelection. In a video he posted on his campaign's Facebook page at the time, he denied a former aide's three-year-old accusations, which included that he'd subjected her to sexually suggestive comments and behavior and then fired her after she complained. He apologized for an office atmosphere he said included 'destructive gossip, offhand comments, off-color jokes and behavior that in general was less than professional.' He said in the video that if he stayed in Congress, he would have spent months trying to vindicate himself. 'We all make mistakes,' Ray said Saturday. 'He made some mistakes.' Ray described him as a 'techie' who was interested in the internet and technology before getting involved in politics. 'He did a tremendous job as congressman for this area,' Ray said, noting that Farenthold cared about fighting crime and promoting transparency. 'His heart was really always in the right place.' Before becoming a congressman, Farenthold was a sidekick for a conservative radio talk show host, Ray said. 'When he decided to run, nobody in the world thought he was going to win,' Ray said. When he left office, he started his own radio show until he died. In addition to his wife, Farenthold is survived by two adult daughters, Morgan Baucum and Amanda Lawrence, Ray said.
