Alabama escapee captured in the wake of shoplifting incident

A shoplifting incident reported to Lawrenceburg Police officers during the weekend led to the capture of a Kentucky man who had reportedly escaped from custody in Lauderdale County, Alabama.

According to police department reports, officers were dispatched to Dollar General Store located at 2010 North locust Avenue just before 7:00 p.m. Sunday. Store officials had reported that they had confronted a man about shoplifting and in response he ran out of the store with the merchandise still in his possession.

The reporting officer indicates that he was turning into the parking lot when he got the call indicating that the subject had fled. He said that he noticed that a man sitting at the nearby America’s Best Value Inn matched the description that had been given of the suspect.

The officer pulled toward the man and reports that he “got up and in a hurried pace went toward the front door.” The officer exited his car and ordered the man to stop and he indicates that the man complied.

The suspect was identified as thirty-five year old Wayne Lee Grubbs of 303 Baughman Avenue, Danville, Kentucky. The officer quickly found that Grubbs had merchandise from Dollar General, Sears, and possibly another store in his possession. The merchandise was returned to Dollar General, however Sears had already closed for the day. The remaining merchandise was seized pending further investigation.

Grubbs was transported to the Lawrence County Detention Center. While verifying his identity, the officer reports that he learned that there were active warrants against him in Lauderdale County for the crime of escape. Grubbs refused to sign a waiver for immediate extradition and was subsequently booked at the local jail on charges of theft and being a fugitive of justice.

Grubbs is being held locally pending the extradition process. He is scheduled to answer the local charges in General Sessions Court on October 7, 2016.