A Mobile man is in jail after police say he broke into a Springhill Avenue fried chicken restaurant before sunrise Saturday and made off with food — only to be caught still holding the evidence.
Walter Pleasant, 49, allegedly smashed a glass door at the Kentucky Fried Chicken at 2850 Springhill Avenue early Saturday and stole several food items from inside, according to the Mobile Police Department. Officers responded to the scene at about 2:18 a.m.
Caught on the property
“Upon arrival, officers discovered a broken glass door and a male subject on the property in possession of food from the location,” MPD said in a statement.
Pleasant was arrested at the restaurant and taken to Mobile County Metro Jail, where he has been charged with third-degree burglary. Under Alabama law, third-degree burglary — entering or remaining unlawfully in a building with intent to commit a crime — is a felony, even when the property taken is worth only a few dollars.
A second weekend burglary
Pleasant’s arrest was not the only one MPD logged from the weekend. In a separate case, police say David Dunn, 49, broke into a truck lot on Carol Plantation Service Road and tried to steal one of the Freightliner trucks parked there — and helped himself to items from other trucks and an office on the property while he was at it. Officers responded at about 3:17 p.m.
“Officers discovered a male subject on scene who had unlawfully entered two Freightliner trucks, attempting to steal one of them, but he could not move the truck due to the braking system being engaged,” MPD said. Dunn was found at the scene and arrested. He faces charges of third-degree burglary, unlawful breaking and entering and first-degree attempted property theft.
The weekend ledger
The two arrests highlight the kind of property crime that fills most of Mobile’s overnight police log. Commercial burglaries — restaurants, retail shops, vehicle lots — spike during the hours when businesses are dark, and suspects are frequently caught nearby because breaking into a modern building or vehicle is loud, slow and unpredictable. In both weekend cases, officers reported finding the suspect still on the property.
Pleasant and Dunn will both make initial appearances in Mobile County District Court, where bond amounts will be set and the cases assigned for further proceedings. Neither case involved injuries, and police did not report any additional suspects.