From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a suspect in a burglary at a home in Center Point that occurred on Jan. 3, 2017. Gabriel Nathanial Powell, 19, of Birmingham, is wanted for the burglary. In a separate burglary case at Pinson Valley Parkway, police arrested Ronald Lavender Steen, 51, of Birmingham. Police used DNA evidence in both cases to trace the suspects.
Nathaniel Powell (left) and Ronald Steen (right). Photo provided by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
In the January 2017 case, deputies from the sheriff’s office responded to a report of a burglary at a home at the 1600 block of 5th Place NW in Center Point. When they arrived at the scene, the deputies learned that the suspect allegedly entered the residence and stole several electronics.
They also learned that the suspect apparently took a popsicle from the freezer and ate it before discarding the stick on the bedroom floor. The stick was taken to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences where it was analyzed.
DNA evidence was taken from the stick and submitted to the Combined DNA Index System.
According to the JCSO, the results of the DNA test matched Powell. Detectives confirmed from the homeowner that Powell had never been admitted to the residence.
Yesterday arrest warrants were issued by the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office after reviewing the case. The warrants charge Powell with burglary in the third degree and theft of property in the third degree. He has not been taken into custody by authorities.
Anyone with information on Powell’s location are asked to call JCSO at 205-325-1450 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
In the Pinson Valley Parkway case, police also used DNA evidence to trace Steen, who is alleged to have broken into an empty business warehouse on May 25, 2017. JCSO deputies learned that the suspect allegedly stole electrical panels, copper wiring, and copper tubing from the building at the 4600 block of Pinson Valley Parkway.
Video surveillance from a nearby location showed the suspect’s car at the warehouse. Police searched the building and discovered an empty beer can and saw blades next to an electrical panel that was damaged. The can was analyzed by Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences where DNA evidence was collected and submitted to the Combined DNA Index System.
Results on March 16 showed that the evidence matched Steen, who is a probationer, according to JCSO. Police later learned that he had allegedly sold “a large amount” of copper to an area scrap yard. The owner of the warehouse confirmed that he had never worked at the building.
This case was also reviewed by the county district attorney. Warrants were issued to Steen, charging him with burglary in the third degree and criminal mischief in the first degree. He was arrested yesterday afternoon.
Steen remains at the Jefferson County Jail on a $13,500 bond.
