Arrest made for Satsuma car burglaries

SATSUMA, Ala. (WALA) - A Satsuma man is in jail charged with breaking into his neighbors cars.

Police said the six burglaries happened during the early morning hours Thursday on Hummingbird, Thunderbird, and Hartley Drive. 

Police arrested 23-year-old Tony Ryals Jr. the next day.

Satsuma police said they didn't have to look far for their suspect. He was already locked up at Metro Jail on a drug charge. Saraland P.D. made the arrest.

Satsuma Police Chief Chris McLean said his detectives knew where to look.

"He was in Metro Jail.  We were able to interview him, get a full confession from him on the burglaries. And he was actually was very cooperative and took us to where the property was located out in Irvington," McLean said.

Loran Reed thought the burglaries in her area were related to others that have happened in Satsuma and several other cities.

"A couple of places down the street from here if you go down and take right on the corner I have, and I heard some cars were broken into a couple nights ago, and in Creola area," Reed said.

Related: Community faces rash of car burglaries

The crimes might have blended in with dozens of other recent burglaries in the city, but the chief said evidence pointed right to Ryals who has a long list of car burglary charges on his record. He even lives on the same street as some of the victims.

Chief McLean said the other burglaries are all linked to the same ring. Credit cards were stolen from some of the vehicles and then used the cards to gas up other vehicles.  McLean said the special task force investigating that case is making good progress.

"We have been able to identify several suspects on those cases. We've gotten some good leads on it ourselves. Saraland and the county have been working very diligently trying to get all the parties identified in relation to those burglaries.  So, I really feel shortly we will have some arrests in those," Chief McLean said.

In addition to the suspects involved in the thefts, Chief McLean said the people who benefited from the crimes could also be charged with felonies.

"Obviously, we want the ring leaders. Obviously, we want the ones that did the burglaries, but from that we want to branch out and gather all of them that were indirectly or directly involved with the cases," he said.

McLean said four of the burglaries happened on South Hummingbird, which the street Ryals lives on.  

Authorities said a necklace and a ring was taken from one car, GPS devices were stolen from two vehicles, and a gold necklace and two rings were taken from a fourth vehicle on the street.

Officials said a designer purse, a designer wallet, and a pair Ray Ban sunglasses were stolen from a car on Hartley Drive, and a check card from First Community Bank was stolen from a car on Thunderbird.  The chief said the card was never used, and all of the items except the Coach handbag were recovered.  Chief McLean said the suspect told investigators he tossed the purse.

The chief said police continue to encourage people not to leave valuable items in their cars, and to lock their vehicles even when their parked on their private property.

If you have any information on the car burglaries, call Satsuma police.