Three Men Charged With Stealing Vehicles From Construction Company

BIRMINGHAM, AL - Three men have been charged with stealing two trucks from a Birmingham business after a construction company reported the vehicles' GPS systems had been activated. Ronnie Dale Pruitt, 55, of Birmingham, 28-year-old Michael Lewis of Jasper and 39-year-old Roy Pollock of Birmingham were all taken into custody. Tuesday, detectives obtained arrest warrants formally charging each of them with two counts of Theft of Property 1st Degree. All three remain in the Jefferson County Jail with bond set at $10,000 each.

Just before 7:00 pm on October 15, Jefferson County Sheriff's deputies were alerted to a vehicle theft in progress after the business reported a GPS tracker had been activated on a company truck which had been parked at a business on Republic Street. No one had permission to operate it after the business had closed. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Birmingham Patch morning newsletter.)

The caller advised deputies that the GPS indicated that the truck was on a dirt road in a wooded area near Coalburg Road and I-22. Deputies responded to the area and entered the woods on foot. After walking about a mile, deputies discovered the truck near a pond on the dirt road. A white male was sitting in driver’s seat and a second white male attempted to hide in some bushes as deputies approached. A third white male fled the scene on foot. A description was broadcast to deputies in the area as well as the Birmingham Police Department. He was located and taken into custody by Birmingham Police a short distance away. Deputies also discovered a second truck that had been stolen from the business at the same location.

All three suspects were questioned by detectives and admitted to stealing the vehicles. They said they had taken the trucks because their vehicle had become stuck in the mud on the dirt road. The men said that it had been their intention to return the trucks to the business once they were done using them.

Photos of Ronnie Dale Pruitt, Michael Lewis and Roy Pollock courtesy of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office