Suspect from June burglary arrested

A 29-year-old man has been arrested in connection to a home invasion-style burglary that occurred in June.

On Tuesday, July 12, Birmingham police officers and Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies located the vehicle that was stolen during the burglary, which occurred on June 30, and found in the area a suspect with the vehicle’s key in his pocket, according to a release from the sheriff’s office. The suspect was identified as Birmingham resident Keon Nevan Hardy.

The burglary reportedly occurred around 4:40 a.m. in the 1000 block of Emerald Circle, close to Cahaba Valley Road. The victims reported waking up to find inside their home an unknown man who was wearing a mask and possibly armed with a gun. The suspect fled the area in the homeowner’s white 2012 Ford 150, and the victims called 911, according to the release.

Birmingham police officers located the pickup truck, which was empty in the city of Birmingham. Police and sheriff’s deputies then found the Hardy in the area near the truck and detained him, according to the release. The key to the victim’s truck was reportedly in Hardy’s pocked.

The Birmingham Police Department’s Auto Theft Division determined there was enough probable cause to charge Hardy with second degree burglary, first degree theft of property and fraudulent use of a credit card, according to the release. Hardy was arrested and taken to Birmingham City Jail awaiting extradition to the Shelby County Jail, and his total bond is $50,000.

Sheriff John Samaniego thanked Birmingham PD for their help in the investigation.

“I take all crimes very seriously but none more so than the forced entry into a person’s home,” he said. “Our job now is to continue to work to catch others who commit this type of crime and to prevent them from doing it again.”