MOBILE, Ala. Officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle at the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Avenue and Davidson Street around 12:50 a.m. on August 4, 2026, but police say that the driver was less than cooperative.
“During the traffic stop, as the officer was engaging with the male driver, the driver suddenly accelerated, dragging the officer briefly and tried running the officer over before leaving the area,”
According to Mobile Police, 29-year-old Chandler Bell Jr was located but then led officers on a chase that reportedly ended in the area of Joachim Street and First Court. He then jumped from the vehicle and ran before officers were able to subdue him and take him into custody.
Bell was arrested and charged with second-degree assault, attempt to elude, and resisting arrest.
He was taken to the Mobile Metro Jail where is currently being held.
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ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Ala. A single-vehicle crash that occurred at approximately 4:45 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, has claimed the life of an Atmore man.
Larry Wright, 70, was critically injured when the 2002 Buick LeSabre he was driving left the roadway and struck a ditch.
According to ALEA, Wright was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. Wright was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The crash occurred on Jack Springs Road near Smith Dairy Road approximately one mile north of Atmore, in Escambia County.
Troopers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Highway Patrol Division continue to investigate.
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MOBILE, AL. The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office has obtained multiple state arrest warrants for Albert McCreary following an investigation into allegations of sexual assault.
On July 28, 2026, members of the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Unit, along with members of the Gulf of America Homeland Security Task Force, located and arrested McCreary. During his detention, investigators located a firearm inside his vehicle.
A review of McCreary’s criminal history revealed a prior felony conviction in Escambia County, Florida.
McCreary’s criminal history includes a charge of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon without Intent to Kill, which was ultimately resolved as a misdemeanor charge of Improper Exhibition of a Firearm. He was also charged with Failing to Disclose Public Aid Over $200, for which adjudication was withheld, and he received four years of probation.
In a separate case, McCreary was charged with Molestation of a Child Less Than 12 and Felony Battery. The molestation charge was dismissed in connection with a guilty plea to Felony Battery.
Based on his criminal history and the firearm located during his arrest, McCreary was taken into federal custody on a charge of being a prohibited person, a convicted felon, in possession of a firearm.
MCSO investigators continued their investigation into the sexual assault allegations. Based on evidence developed during that investigation, investigators sought and received approval for the following State of Alabama charges against McCreary:
Rape First Degree
Sexual Abuse First Degree
Certain Persons Forbidden to Possess a Firearm
Unlawful Imprisonment First Degree
The state charges were signed on August 3, 2026, and arrest warrants have been entered into the system.
McCreary remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service on a federal hold while awaiting further federal court proceedings.
The Mobile County District Attorney’s Office conducted a separate investigation related to circumstances surrounding McCreary’s election to public office and has also obtained charges against him.
“This investigation demonstrates exactly why we work closely with our federal, state and local partners. When allegations this serious are made, our responsibility is to follow the evidence wherever it leads. No title, position or elected office places anyone above the law. Our investigators will continue to pursue these cases thoroughly and professionally, and we will allow the judicial process to determine the outcome.” Sheriff Paul Burch.
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Nationwide and here in Alabama, state and federal law enforcement have been working with The U.S. Department of Homeland Security as they team up with the U.S. Department of Transportation to target fraud in commercial driver’s license schools, the agency announced.
Under the partnership, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is working alongside the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to identify and address fraud tied to the issuance of non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens. The two agencies, joined by state and local partners, said their focus will be on preserving the integrity of the CDL system and ensuring that only qualified individuals operate commercial vehicles.
Nationwide and here in Alabama, state troopers, commercial vehicle law enforcement and other agencies have made concentrated efforts to take unqualified truck drivers who have not completed the professional driving school training nor have the required commercial license to drive a big rig off our roadways.
FMCSA has flagged roughly 75 entry-level driver training schools suspected of fraudulent activity, including the use of improper driver certifications, falsification of training records, and failure to train CDL applicants, according to DHS recently. The US Transportation Department has also brought HSI into its investigations of those schools.
“Too many American lives have been lost in completely avoidable accidents because illegal aliens have been granted commercial driver’s licenses to drive trucks and 18-wheelers on America’s roadways,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a news release. “DHS law enforcement is partnering with the Department of Transportation to eliminate CDL fraud, strengthen the integrity of the CDL system, and investigate commercial driver’s license schools throughout the country. This is a whole-of-government approach, to keep America’s roads safe.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said his department has spent the past year pursuing bad actors in the trucking industry.
“USDOT has spent the last year rooting out bad actors from our trucking industry,” Duffy said. “We’ve knocked over 24,000 drivers off our roads for failing to speak English, forced states to cancel over 28,000 licenses illegally issued to foreign drivers, and purged over 9,500 unqualified training schools from our FMCSA registry. DHS will be a force multiplier of our efforts to clean up America’s roads. President Trump is using every lever at his disposal to ensure the safety of American families.”
DHS described the effort as part of the administration’s broader push to “root out fraud from American trucking and restore integrity to the industry.”
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UPDATE: Baldwin County authorities on Tuesday morning identified the homicide victim as 56-year-old Terry Barnes and said Barnes was found deceased in the yard. Officials said Lee Snider, 55, was arrested and charged with murder.
BAY MINETTE, Ala. The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, area firefighters and EMS responded to a stabbing Monday afternoon.
According to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the Wash Branch Road area outside of the Bay Minette city limits.
When deputies arrived, they found a victim with multiple stab wounds.
One suspect is in custody, according to investigators.
A Baldwin County Sheriff’s spokesperson said that additional details will be released as they become available.
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ORANGE BEACH, Ala. A vacationing Georgia couple have filed a $2 million lawsuit related to injuries that were sustained in 2024 after an Orange Beach lifeguard ran over the husband with a government pickup truck.
In the lawsuit, Mark and Christine Kelemen say they were relaxing on the beach when an Orange Beach lifeguard, later identified as Erik Nathaniel Mason, ran over Mark Kelemen with an F-150 pickup truck causing severe injuries.
According to the filing, the “Plaintiffs” were sitting on beach chairs, conversing with each other, when the city’s employee, Mason, got into his city-issued Ford F-150, and without checking his surroundings, turned the truck and ran over Mr. Kelemen as he was sitting on the beach next to his wife,” the filing states. “The front of the city’s vehicle hit Kelemen, and the front tire ran over the top of Kelemen’s hips, low back, abdomen, and arm, severely injuring him.”
Although the court documents mentioned that Mark Kelemen is seeking $1 million for his injuries that he claims Mason caused, $50,000 in special damages for medical expenses and $500,000 for future medical expenses arising from these injuries there is little documentation regarding the wreck itself or where and how Kelemen was treated. He’s also seeking compensation for lost wages since and wants those damages to be decided by a jury.
The Kelemens claim proper policies and procedures for operating a vehicle on city beaches were not followed by Mason blaming his alleged neglect for Mark Kelemen’s injuries.
Christine Keleman is also seeking $500,000 “for her past, present and future consortium damages arising out of her husband’s physical injuries and permanent limitations” as well as her personal injuries from the incident.
Chubb National Insurance, the holder of policies on the Kelemens’ vehicles, is also a defendant in the complaint. The Kelemens claim since Mason was an underinsured driver, their primary carrier, Chubb, should cover them “against such perils as being injured and/or damaged by uninsured and underinsured motorists as well as other insurance coverages.”
The city of Orange Beach has seen several lawsuits in recent years including a federal lawsuit over bodycam footage on an alleged domestic violence incident reportedly involving Mayor Tony Kennon on Labor Day in 2024, which he denies. The school system faces a lawsuit filed stemming from when a former Blue Angels pilot was told his out-of-district kids could no longer attend city schools.
A court date for the Keleman’s case has not yet been scheduled.
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MOBILE, AL. A quick response by Mobile police officers has resulted in the arrest of a man who police said was trying to steal an 18-wheeler truck from a business.
Police were initially dispatched to 5565 Carol Plantation Service Road (Hud Trucking) on Sunday, August 2nd, 2026, for a possible burglary in progress.
Multiple officers arrived at the business at approximately 3:17 p.m. where they found a man later identified as David Wayne Dunn, inside the cab of the eighteen-wheeler.
During the officer’s investigation, they also discovered that Dunn had already taken items from a second truck.
Police took Dunn into custody and transported him to the Mobile Metro Jail where he is being held without bond on charges of: Burglary 3d degree Unlawful Breaking and Entering Attempted Theft of Property 1st Degree
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One person is dead and two others have been injured in an explosion and fire that occurred on July 4th, 2026.
According to Chilton County 911, they were alerted of a house fire with people trapped inside around 8:10 p.m. and dispatched several volunteer fire departments alongside law enforcement to the residence in the 5000 block of County Road 76 in Clanton.
When emergency responders arrived, heavy smoke and fire was coming from the residence.
Authorities have confirmed the fire was started by a man smoking a cigarette in the same room as an oxygen tank.
South Chilton Fire Chief Jordan Davis arrived on scene first in a Quick Responsive Vehicle and went in himself to help the three people trapped inside the house. Davis was able to rescue two of the victims, but the third was found dead inside the house.
Cedar Grove Fire Department also assisted, along with seven volunteers. The Chilton County Sheriff’s Office and Alabama State Fire Marshal’s Office are still investigating what led to the fire but believe that oxygen was leaking from the 02 tank.
Law enforcement said that Raymond Lee Taylor, 69, died in the fire.
The blaze was sparked by Taylor smoking while using an oxygen tank, Sheriff John Shearon said.
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BAY MINETTE, Ala. A fast-moving fire that started in the kitchen of Streets Restaurant in Bay Minette quickly devoured much of the business sending heavy black smoke and flames into the air mid-morning on Saturday, August 1, 2026.
The first fire engine arriving at 251 US-31 immediately called for additional resources reporting a fully involved structure fire at around 11:15 a.m.. Several neighboring fire departments responded along with the Bay Minette police and EMS.
Streets, a popular eatery offering a variety of food dishes and a buffet, was a favorite among locals and visitors passing through going to the beach.
People quickly gathered around the perimeter of the restaurant with a sense of shock and sadness while others snapped pictures and reminisced about their meals at the iconic local restaurant.
“I thank the good Lord every day for my customers. It’s been a great business, and we are contented,” said Overstreet. People in the neighborhood say Streets was a place built on good food and good relationships.
Despite extensive damage to the building, the owner says he’s optimistic they’ll be able to rebuild. He’s encouraging the roughly 30 Streets employees to apply at the Stagecoach Cafe for the time being. It’s owned by a relative of Overstreet.
Overstreet said it started as a fire in the kitchen that spread quickly. Fire officials say no one was hurt. It’s a heartbreaking loss for the area.
A GoFundMe page has been set up according to Street’s social media page to help employees affected by the fire.
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DAPHNE, Ala. Firefighters were called to an apartment fire on Friday afternoon at around 1:30 p.m.
According to the resident who lives at the Bay Breeze Apartments, located at 29150 Lake Forest Blvd, while doing laundry they smelled smoke and soon began to see some smoke coming from the utility room.
The Daphne Fire Department responded to the report of the fire and the Spanish Fort Fire Department also responded as part of the mutual-aid response pact. Daphne police also dispatched officers to the scene.
While firefighters were working on the fire scene, several other area fire departments including the Fairhope Volunteer Fire Department covered the Daphne Fire Department’s response area
Moderate but limited damage was reported at the second-floor unit, and firefighters checked for extension of the fire.
No injuries were reported.
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BARNWELL COMMUNITY, Ala. Friday night as storms began to move into our area, a Mayday call was sent out by a small boat that was taking on water and in distress on the Mobile Bay west of County Road One.
The Baldwin County 911 Communications Center Dispatched the Barnwell Volunteer Fire Department to the area of the Mullet Point Park, and the Magnolia Springs Volunteer Fire Department was also dispatched to the area with their vessel.
Several occupants on board had no personal floatation devices or life vests of any type and the US Coast Guard and the Alabama Marine Police (ALEA) were also dispatched to the area.
According to authorities, assistance was provided and there were no injuries reported.
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LOXLEY, Ala. A two-vehicle traffic collision on Interstate 10 in the Loxley area on Friday night has left one person deceased, and a second person in critical condition.
Authorities stated that the wreck occurred near exit 46 at around 6 p.m. and that the Loxley police and fire departments were initially dispatched to the scene.
At least two Medstar ambulances were also dispatched to the wreck.
Upon arrival, firefighters found heavy damage to both vehicles which were found in two separate areas. Firefighters also found one person unresponsive and lifesaving measures including CPR were immediately rendered to the patient.
A medical helicopter was also dispatched to the interstate and landed on the eastbound side and a critically injured patient was airlifted to an area trauma center.
Interstate 10 near the crash site remained closed for several hours before one eastbound lane was opened.
At this time ALEA is conducting an investigation into the traffic collision.
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COLBERT AL. A recent announcement stated that another business is putting down roots in Alabama and investing millions of dollars into our economy.
The Seattle-based wood products company plans to build a wood processing facility in Colbert County, bringing a $16.25 million investment.
The Lumber Manufactory Inc. project is expected to create 59 jobs once the facility becomes operational, and workers are estimated to make $22.19 an hour on average, according to Alabama Department of Commerce records.
This is good news for that rural area and for our state Tony Gwinn, a marketing specialist who works to promote Alabama to businesses and investors nationwide.
The development aligns with Alabama’s ongoing efforts to attract new and expanding industries, particularly in advanced manufacturing and wood products operations, according to the department’s website.
Specific details about the project remain undisclosed, including the construction timeline, exact location within Colbert County and official hiring plans.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
MOBILE, Ala. A multi-state sex trafficking plot led to the arrest of several men and now a federal grand jury has indicted the Baldwin County men on sex trafficking charges.
Law enforcement has stated that Obeth Quiahua Acahua, 30, and Felix Albino Lopez Acahua, 21, transported women from Georgia to the Gulf Coast to have sex for money.
Both men are scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court next week for an arraignment.
Authorities stated that Obeth Acahua has been charged with transporting a person in interstate commerce for purposes of prostitution and conspiracy to do so. Felix Acahua is charged with the conspiracy count and with being an illegal immigrant in possession of a firearm. Court records show that during an interrogation by federal agents, he admitted that he illegally crossed into the United States from Mexico and, therefore, was not allowed to have a gun.
During the sex trafficking investigation involving numerous law enforcements from several states, a Homeland Security Investigations agent said in an affidavit that the agency received information in March that a person was visiting construction worksites in Baldwin County and handing out business cards. Those cards read, in Spanish, “Delivery service. Do you want to see the menu?” The coded business cards were talking about having sex for money while using the cover of a food delivery business.
The agent wrote in the affidavit that the business cards were code for setting up meetings with prostitutes. People who sent messages to a phone number printed on the card received an invitation to a WhatsApp group or a photo of a scantily clad woman. Screenshots of WhatsApp conversations indicated a customer could have a woman for 15 minutes for $60, and each week would feature a different woman.
Investigators tracked the number to a cell phone registered to Obeth Acahua and then watched him drive around Baldwin County with a woman in the passenger seat, according to court documents. The woman would go inside a home for about 15 minutes and then return.
“This pattern would repeat over the course of the day,” the agent wrote in his affidavit.
After conducting surveillance on the two men for an undisclosed amount of time, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on Obeth Acahua on May 5, 2026, and found that a woman in the vehicle had five warrants for prostitution from New York.
In the affidavit from the agent, it was disclosed that the throughout May and June, Obeth Acahua, Felix Acahua or both drove women to multiple locations for 15-minute stops, and that during surveillance operations the agents observed stops at a motel in Chickasaw, multiple trips to locations in Florida, and a stop in Saraland at an apartment complex.
After further surveillance and investigation HIS obtained a search warrant for a mobile home in Foley where a gun registered to Felix Acahua was found. He initially told agents that he discovered the weapon in his room, threw it away, but then changed his mind and retrieved it, according to the criminal complaint.
A judge has ordered that both men remain in custody without bond pending their arraignment hearing on Wednesday.
Box men could be facing state and federal charges and a lengthy prison sentence if found guilty.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
DAPHNE, Ala. A man wanting to sell a firearm listed it on an online app hoping to get a quick sale and a fair price, but what happened when he went to meet a prospective buyer is not what he was expecting.
The seller agreed to meet the prospective buyer at a shopping center in the area of State Highway 181 near US 90 on Wednesday afternoon.
Daphne police said that the victim arrived, willing to sell two firearms and the sale transaction quickly transitioned into an armed robbery.
“He showed up that day to sell these two guns to this individual and when he went to make the transaction, before getting paid another subject walked up and produced a firearm,” Lt. Jason Lazzari of Daphne Police said. “Pointed it at him and that’s when the robbery took place. They took the victim’s firearms and got into the vehicle and fled the area.”
Daphne Police were able to arrest two of the suspects and are searching for two more.
Police obtained a positive identification on the suspect’s vehicle and began searching the area for the vehicle.
On Thursday, police did locate the vehicle in another parking lot, and officers arrested the suspects when they returned to the vehicle.
Travon Worsley and Ka’Leyce Gulley, both 19 and from Mobile County, were arrested and charged with armed robbery. The two firearms stolen from the victim were recovered.
“We haven’t recovered the firearm they used in the robbery yet,” Lazzari said. “We’re hoping to recover it, but you know, in this kind of case it’s rare to get it if we don’t get them right after the act occurred.”
Lazzari noted the danger that the robbery posed to bystanders in the busy shopping area.
“If something could’ve happened where shots were fired, there’s a lot of people around and a lot of people could’ve gotten hurt,” he said.
Anyone who was in the shopping area near Highway 181 and Highway 90 on Wednesday afternoon and saw something out of the ordinary is asked to contact Daphne Police.
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MOBILE, AL. July 30, 2026 On Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at approximately 8:35 a.m., police officers with the mobile Police department responded to Dick Russell’s, located at 5360 Highway 90, in reference to a burglary complaint.
MPD said that when their officers arrived that they met with the complainant, who had surveillance footage of two unknown subjects illegally entering the business and removing articles from inside not belonging to either.
Police conducted a further investigation and were able to identify two suspects in the burglary.
Anthony Hodges, 34, and Preston Wiant, 24, were located and placed under arrest.
Both were transported to the Metro Jail and charged with burglary.
The stolen items were returned to the victim.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
MOBILE COUNTY, Ala. A two-vehicle crash that occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 28, 2026, has claimed the life of a Wilmer man.
James R. Parker, 38, was critically injured when the 2018 Harley Davidson FXBR motorcycle he was operating was struck by the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder driven by Tonya R. Wadsworth, 45, of Semmes.
After the initial impact, Parker was thrown from the motorcycle. Parker was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased.
The crash occurred on Jack Williams Road near Buford Lane, approximately 6 miles north of Semmes, in Mobile County.
Troopers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Highway Patrol Division continue to investigate.
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MOBILE, AL. On Sunday, July 26, 2026, at approximately 12:23 p.m., officers, along with the Mobile Fire-Rescue/EMS, responded to the area of Schillinger Road at Grelot Road in reference to a two-vehicle traffic accident.
Upon arrival, officers discovered two female victims, one with life-threatening injuries, the other with minor injuries.
The victim with life-threatening injuries was transported to a local hospital by ambulance, while the other victim arrived at a local hospital by personal vehicle.
Upon further investigation, officers discovered a vehicle was traveling south on Schillinger Road when another vehicle, driven by Brenda Hunt, 76, crossed over from the northbound lanes striking the vehicle.
On Tuesday, July 28, 2026, officers were notified that Hunt had passed away the night before while at the hospital.
This traffic collision remains under investigation.
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BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. Maybe you’ve been driving down the road or up on I-10 and seen state troopers with a big truck pulled over. If you drive a lot, you’ve possibly seen this scenario play out several times in recent months.
It’s not by chance but rather by design.
ALEA, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement including conducting vehicle safety inspections, verifying trucker logs and documents and ensuring that the driver is properly licensed and insured.
In recent months, ALEA along with ICE and other law enforcement partners, have stepped up enforcement along local roads and highways to ensure that those behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle, bus, or tractor trailer is in full compliance of our laws, are properly documented, licensed and legally allowed to be in the U.S.
Alabama’s trucking industry and the Alabama law enforcement community say there has been major progress made in the last year removing “bad actors” from our roadways.
Alabama is not the only state who has stepped up commercial vehicle enforcement after several fatal traffic collisions involving drivers who were not in the US legally and were not licensed to be driving the truck. Some states have a separate commercial vehicle enforcement agency who spend every day enforcing traffic laws, conducting commercial vehicle inspections and arresting those committing crimes on the roadways. ALEA has a Motor Carrier Unit that concentrates on enforcing these laws.
During the past two years in Alabama, there have been at least three serious and deadly traffic collisions involving undocumented immigrants illegally in the US, driving with no license and who could not read nor speak English.
An ALEA spokesperson recently stated that they are committed to keeping our roadways safe and that troopers will continue enforcing the laws of our state.
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