Pike Road man encounters robbery suspect inside his home

PIKE ROAD, Ala. (WSFA) - A man who lives in the Lochshire neighborhood in Pike Road had a frightening encounter with a suspect on the run following an armed robbery.

According to Montgomery County Sheriff Derrick Cunningham, an armed 16-year-old robbed the Dollar General off Vaughn Road around 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Cunningham said the suspect fled from the store on foot but was confronted by a witness in a pickup truck who followed the teen. The suspect fired a gun at the witness, striking the witness’ vehicle. The witness then fired back at the suspect, according to the sheriff.

After the exchange of gunfire, the suspect jumped the fence to the Lochshire neighborhood.

Just a few doors down from where the suspect jumped the fence is where Archie Blevins lives.

Blevins said he was in his driveway when he heard the gunshots and then saw the suspect coming towards him and his home.

“I was very well shaken up,” Blevins said.

Blevins said he quickly locked the doors to his house, got in his car and drove away in an effort to escape the suspect. Once law enforcement arrived, Blevins said he returned to his home, only to be met face-to-face with the robber inside his kitchen.

“Right here, that’s where I saw this guy. I saw him right in front the refrigerator right there,” Blevins said pointing to his kitchen through his garage door.

“When I saw him, he saw me. He went the other way and I went this way,” he said.

Security footage from inside the home shows the moment the suspect and Blevins make eye contact. You can see the 16-year-old quickly fleeing out the back door.

“He probably wasn’t in there no more than I guess I’m going to guess probably 20 seconds,” Blevins said. “I didn’t know if he had a weapon or not, so all of a sudden, I guess, just darted right back out.”

After the suspect took off outside Blevins’ back door, law enforcement took over in the search. It took several hours, but the suspect was eventually arrested after going to the Bullock County Hospital around 9:30 p.m. where he sought treatment in the emergency room for a gunshot wound.

The severity of his injuries was not released, but Cunningham confirmed he was still hospitalized as of Wednesday morning.

Blevins said the suspect broke into his home through the back door. Blevins believes the robber was trying to get ice from the refrigerator.

“There was blood on the refrigerator, there’s blood on the back door, and there’s blood on the floor where apparently he went to the refrigerator to get ice apparently to put it on his wound where he was cut at,” Blevins said.

Blevins said he did suffer minor injuries falling trying to escape the suspect, but he is OK. Blevins lives with his wife and daughter, who were not home at the time of the incident.

The suspect’s name has not been released because he is a juvenile.

Once discharged into police custody, he’ll be held on a $330,000 cash bond for multiple charges, including attempted murder, first-degree robbery and discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle.

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