Suspect arrested in Gadsden stabbing death

William D'Angelo McKinney

A man accused of stabbing a 53 year old Gadsden man has surrendered to authorities.

30 year old William D'Angelo McKinney, of Birmingham, has been charged with the murder of a 53-year-old man and second degree assault of his 27-year-old ex-girlfriend.

Police say McKinney attacked his ex-girlfriend at her home on Winona Avenue in the Mill Village neighborhood around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, night.

The woman told police that McKinney used a key to get inside her home without her permission.

She said she told McKinney to leave, but he "pushed her down, wrapped his arms around her neck and chocked her until she blacked out..

The victim's mom was also at the home and told McKinney she had called police. He escaped before officers got to the scene.

Authorities say McKinney showed back up at his ex-girlfriend's house around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday morning..

He got there around the same time as 53-year-old Amos Jackson, who arrived to give McKinney's ex-girlfriend a ride to work.

Police say McKinney confronted Jackson and stabbed him several times in his torso. McKinney's ex-girlfriend called police, who responded but not in time to catch the suspect.

Officers found Jackson suffering from his stab wounds beside his vehicle. He was transported to Gadsden Regional Medical Hospital, where he died around 9 a.m.

McKinney was on the run until U.S. Marshals and Gadsden detectives found him in Birmingham on Wednesday night.

He surrendered to the Marshals and was brought back to Gadsden for questioning. Around 10 p.m., he was booked into the Etowah County Jail on murder and assault charges.

He is being held on no bond.

Talladega road check leads to golf course chase

Talladega police began conducting road checks this week leading into this labor day weekend and within minutes of the first road check, officers made an interesting arrest.

Poice say One of the first drivers to approach a checkpoint on Bankhead Boulevard executed a three-point turn to avoid stopping, then pulled onto the Municipal Golf Course.

The fleeing car reached speeds of up to 60 miles per hour across the golf course, forcing golfers to dive for cover.  the car eventually went airborne and came down on a concrete pad where the golf carts are normally parked. The impact on the pad caused the vehicle’s air bags to deploy. Unable to see due to the airbag, the driver then drove into the water hazard, and attempted briefly to swim away. A bag of what appeared to be marijuana also floated out of the car, and was recovered with a golf ball retriever. The driver was arrested for attempting to elude, reckless endangerment and possession of marijuana in the second degree.

Gadsden police recover stolen items

Gadsden police are trying to return hundreds of stolen items to their rightful owners.
The items  include non-firearms related weapons,  karaoke machines, musical instruments, car stereos, underwear.  More than a dozen unopened packs of both Haynes and Fruit of the Loom boxers and briefs.  Investigators said 75-year-old Joe Pearl sold these and other sealed items, such as toothbrushes and drills, at trade days.  Police seized those and other items Monday at Pearl's house.
Police said  Pearl was the guy in the neighborhood that everybody knows they can go and sell their stolen property to.  Police say they believe the items were in a trade, either through the sale of narcotics or through just a cash transaction outright."  Officers also discovered a large quantity of prescription medication at Pearl's house.  He has an outstanding warrant for his arrest for distribution of narcotics, and several prior arrests for the same charge.  Investigators believe Pearl is in Georgia, and expect he will turn himself in sometime in the next few days.  Rather than charge him with 200 or 300 misdemeanor counts for receiving stolen property,  police will charge Pearl with one felony count of receiving stolen property in the first degree.
Police are trying to match these items to previous cases on file, but many things were not reported stolen.  Investigators said if a person in the area is a recent victim of either a burglary or a car break-in, where the stolen item is unique or has a unique identifier, call the property crimes division at 256-549-4624

 All unclaimed property will go to a government auction.

According to Captain Paul Cody officers busted a large fencing operation this week.  I

Work increases at Anniston Army Depot

General Dynamics Land Systems and the Anniston Army Depot are celebrating the restart of combat vehicles known as "Stryker double-V hull."

A ceremony was held Thursday morning to mark the project.

Pete Keating with the Anniston Army Depot  said it is one of the most sought after units in the army,"

It's so popular, it's getting an upgrade at the Depot.

Similar models were built back in 2001.

13 years later, those units will be taken apart and improved to produce this version, which is safer.

the combat vehicle carries eleven soldiers and protects them against roadside bombs and heavy machine guns.

The price tag ranges from $1.3 million to $3 million each, depending on the bells and whistles added to each unit.

It's a contract worth $163 million.

Hoover man drowns in lake at Cheaha state park

Rescuers in Cleburne County pulled the body of a swimmer from Cheaha Lake Wednesday afternoon, where he apparently drowned after a companion saw him go under three hours earlier.

Cleburne County Coroner Ben McKnight said the victim was a 19-year-old man from Hoover. McKnight said some family members identified the body, but because other family members have not been told the news, they have not released the name.  Officials say The man had been hiking in the area with a friend, . The pair, tired from the hike, had stopped to swim in the lake, just west of Mount Cheaha’s peak.  The man’s companion saw him slip under the surface,  and made several unsuccessful attempts to save him.

Crews from Cane Creek Fire and Rescue, Clay County Rescue, Cleburne Search & Rescue and the Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office responded to the call and the mans body was recovered near 3:30 wednesday afternoon.

Gadsden police investigating Wednesday morning murder

Gadsden police are investigating the  Wednesday morning murder of a man in the cities  Mill Village area.  Police say the  man was stabbed, and died at about 9 a.m. at a local hospital during or shortly after surgery.

Police have not released the victims name saying that not all members of his family have been notified..

Police say they are looking for a suspect in the incident.