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September 6, 2010

Man charged in Gardendale robberies

By Ben Montgomery The North Jefferson News

GARDENDALE — One of the men arrested in connection to the Fultondale robberies has been charged with last month’s Shoney’s and Sonic Drive-In robberies, according to Gardendale police.

Reginald Andre Mitchell has been charged with four counts of first degree armed robbery with a bond of $60,000 on each charge. The other Fultondale suspect, Torri Johnson, was not charged with the Gardendale robberies.

“The Shoney’s and Sonic robberies were just one guy,” said Gardendale Detective Terry Shouse. “We think Mitchell branched out on his own from Johnson.”

Shouse said Gardendale police determined Mitchell was the robber by examining a surveillance video from Shoney’s. Although Mitchell was masked by a bandana inside the restaurant, his face was exposed as he approached it from the outside. Employees from both Shoney’s and Sonic Drive-In also picked Mitchell out of a line-up, identifying him as the man who held them at gunpoint.

“It was enough to say it’s him,” said Shouse.

She said Birmingham police have also charged Mitchell with similar robberies in their area. Birmingham’s charges do not have a bond attached.

“We couldn’t have done it without Birmingham and Fultondale police,” she said.

Nobody was hurt and no shots were fired at any of the armed robberies.

Police said there has not been a decision made regarding last month’s Gardendale Chick-fil-A robbery.

“The M.O. [modus operandi] was different,” said Shouse.

Mitchell is also charged with armed robbery at five Fultondale locations: O’Reilley’s auto parts store, O’Charley’s restaurant, AT&T Planet mobile phone store, Chili’s restaurant and Hampton Inn. Mitchell was arrested after accompanying Johnson’s girlfriend to file a missing report on Johnson, who had been arrested days earlier.

Fultondale police say it is possible the two men were funding a drug habit. Police won’t disclose how much money was stolen in most of the robberies, but MItchell and Johnson reportedly took over $3,000 from O’Reilley’s.

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