20-year-old charged with home invasion, burglary
Published 7:24 am Wednesday, January 15, 2003
By Staff
Staff Report
One suspect has been arrested in an alleged home invasion incident that occurred in the early morning hours of New Years Eve day.
A young girl was awakened in the early morning hours of Dec. 31 to find a man staring in her face. She began screaming, waking up another sister and her mother. The man then ran out of the front door.
According to sheriff reports, the mother said she found a flashlight in her daughter's bedroom and saw footprints outside the front door leading away from their home. There was a possibility that a second man was with him.
The tracking dogs were called from Fountain Prison and they picked up a trail leading from the victim's home to the suspect's home. Two suspects were taken into custody. Evidence from the victim's home was located in one of the suspect's possession. The other suspect was released without arrest. Plaster casts were taken by investigators of the footprints and they were photographed.
Charged for the home invasion was 20-year-old Roderick Russell of North Gate Drive in Atmore. Russell was also charged with burglary second, which carries a $6,000 bond and theft of property third, which carried a $4,000 bond. In addition, Russell was charged with violation of probation.
Russell was positively identified as the one in the child's bedroom. Items from the girl's bedroom were found in Russell's coat pocket, a coat identified as the one he was wearing while in the victim's home.
Russell is currently in the Escambia County Jail.