A man was arrested after he allegedly broke into a family-owned catering business in west Mobile and stole an iPhone, according to the Mobile Police Department.
Officers responded to Barron’s Catering at 5396 Highway 90 West around 8:58 a.m. Tuesday and found 44-year-old Jerome Morien still at the scene, police said. According to the department, Morien had entered the business through an unlocked door and taken a smartphone from one of the offices.
Morien was arrested and taken to Mobile County Metro Jail, where he was charged with third-degree burglary.
An Unlocked Door and a Morning Call
The break-in happened in the kind of window that small business owners on the Highway 90 corridor know well — the early morning, before the workday fully begins, when deliveries arrive and doors are opened and closed as staff trickle in.
Third-degree burglary under Alabama law covers entering or remaining unlawfully in a building with the intent to commit a crime inside. It is a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, though actual sentences in cases involving low-dollar thefts vary widely and often resolve through plea agreements, probation or drug and mental health courts.
In this case, the alleged take was modest — a single iPhone — but the charge is a felony because it involves unlawful entry into a building rather than simple theft. The distinction matters for Morien: a felony record affects employment, housing and future sentencing far more than a misdemeanor theft conviction would.
The Corridor’s Pattern of Break-Ins
The Highway 90 West corridor has seen a steady drumbeat of property crime reports in recent years. The stretch of road between Midtown and the Theodore area is lined with small businesses — restaurants, auto shops, caterers, churches and family operations — many of which sit in older buildings with back doors, alley access and parking areas that are dark after hours.
Police logs across Mobile regularly show early-morning break-ins at commercial buildings, and detectives have repeatedly urged business owners to harden their properties: upgrading door hardware, adding deadbolts, installing cameras with night vision, and using alarms with motion sensors in office areas rather than only on sales floors.
Barron’s Catering is a longstanding family operation in the community, the kind of business where an intrusion is felt personally. Beyond the value of what was taken, break-ins disrupt operations, force owners to spend on repairs and security upgrades, and erode the sense of security that lets a small business run day to day.
What Happens Next
Morien remains in the Mobile County justice system, where his case will move through arraignment and, if it proceeds, the trial process. Prosecutors will weigh his criminal history and the circumstances of the arrest in deciding how to proceed.
Mobile police encourage anyone with information about break-ins along the Highway 90 corridor — or any unsolved crime — to contact the department at 251-208-7211. Tipsters can also reach Mobile Area Crime Stoppers, which allows anonymous tips and pays rewards for information leading to arrests.
For the family behind Barron’s Catering, the arrest closes one chapter. The larger challenge — keeping an unlocked-door morning from becoming a pattern — is one the whole corridor shares.