MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release                                                                             January 26, 2018

                                            Concerned Citizens Calls Lead to Arrest

Sheriff Jimmy Harris states as follows:

            On January 22nd the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a concerned citizen about Skyler Ray Bennett, 26 of Boaz having child pornography on his cell phone. An investigation was conducted and as a result of a search warrant of Bennett’s residence on County Road 1 in Boaz Bennet was arrested and charged with producing obscene material, drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana 2nd.

            On January 25th the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a concerned citizen about 3 young children walking down the road. When Deputies arrived they found the children to be okay. Deputies and Investigators went to their residence on County Road 485 in Fort Payne were the children live. Deputies and Investigators started an investigation, found inside the residence paraphernalia and meth inside the residence. DHR was contacted and children are safe. Brandon Benjamin Rogers, 28 and Taylor Nicole Rogers, 26 both of Fort Payne were arrested and charged with 3 counts of endangering welfare of a child, unlawful possession of controlled substance and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.

            On January 24th the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office received a call to a residence on County Road 790 in the Ider community, where a white female had walked up to a residence claiming to have been kidnapped and beaten. The female was transported to the DeKalb Regional ER to be treated for her injuries. DeKalb County Investigators and Drug Task Force started an investigation on the assault and kidnapping. Upon the investigation search warrants were executed at County Road 146 where Bradley DaKota Bell, 25 of Fort Payne, Jennifer Lawson, 32 of Trenton, Billy Helton, 18 of Bryant and Hannah Kessler, 18 of Trenton were arrested on charges of unlawful possession of controlled substance and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. Also at the residence officers recovered a stolen vehicle. During the continuation of the investigation on the kidnapping and assault, charges have been added to Lawson and Bell for kidnapping 1st and assault 2nd.

                        Sheriff Harris says “we are thankful that this citizen located these children and kept them safe until Deputies arrived. Thanks to the Investigators and Deputies that worked all of these cases and for doing a good job.”