Suspect in Early Morning Theft and Chase in Custody

On Tuesday July 23, 2019 Dothan Police Officers attempted to stop a Chevrolet pick-up truck in the area of Murphy Mill Road for a traffic violation. The driver of the truck fled from officers pulling a utility trailer. The driver drove through the yard of a nearby residence causing damage to the residence and fence. The suspect ended up in a wooded area on Riveredge Parkway in Dothan, leaving the truck and trailer and set out into the woods on foot.

Officers searched the area with help from the Dale County Sheriff’s Office, Wiregrass Aviation Support Program, Houston County Sheriff’s Department, ALEA Investigators and Alabama State Troopers. During the search officers located several other pieces of stolen property from the Dothan area. Two more utility trailers and a lawn mower were discovered that had been stolen from a nearby church. In the bed of the truck were numerous stolen items from a recent burglary in Geneva County to include several firearms, televisions, tools, and electronics.

The suspect was not located until several hours later when a resident in the 200 block of Riveredge Parkway returned home and saw a pair of feet sticking out from under a bed in the home. Police responded to the residence to investigate. With the idea that this was the suspect from this morning a Police K9 was deployed into the hose after verbal warnings were given. After no response the K9 searched the residence and encountered the suspect in a bedroom and apprehended the suspect by biting him in the right bicep.

The suspect was identified as 44 year old white male Jason Dewayne Creel of Dothan. He was taken to a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries from the Police K9.

Once the suspect was in custody the resident noticed that their family dog, a mixed breed lab/bulldog, was missing from the home. The dog was located under the deck at the rear of the home. The dog had been stabbed by the suspect multiple times in the throat. The family dog, Buddy, did not survive this attack. Creel later admitted to police that the dog “came at him” so he stabbed him with his pocket knife.

Creel, wet and dirty from his time in the wooded area removed his clothes and hid them in a closet. He helped himself to food and drink from the refrigerator. Creel also logged into the family computer and watched pornography until he finally crawled under a bed and fell asleep until awoken by Dothan Police K9 Xander.

Jason Dewayne Creel is charged with three counts of Theft of Property 1st degree, one count of Receiving Stolen Property 1st degree, one count of Burglary 3rd degree, one count of Aggravated Animal Cruelty, and Certain Persons Forbidden to Possess Firearms. He is being held with no bond in this case.

This investigation is ongoing and additional charges will be forthcoming.

 

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