A routine fast-food order turned terrifying on January 2nd in Leeds, Alabama, when a woman brazenly robbed a Chick-fil-A restaurant at gunpoint. The suspect, later identified as 32-year-old Kaudija Shondrelle Haynes, didn’t brandish a firearm, but instead threatened an employee with mace, demanding they hand over the restaurant’s cash bag.
Haynes’ desperation was immediately apparent as she fled the scene, recklessly endangering anyone in her path. Investigators quickly learned she wasn’t attempting to disappear, but rather to double down on her risk – tracking her to the bustling Wind Creek casino in Wetumpka, where she was reportedly gambling with the stolen funds.
The pursuit ended dramatically when Haynes crashed her vehicle multiple times into trees near Wetumpka, bringing a dangerous chase to a halt. Officers from the Wetumpka Police Department and the Poarch Creek Tribal Police Department swiftly moved in to take her into custody, ending a day of escalating recklessness.
“We are incredibly relieved that no employees or customers were harmed during this ordeal,” stated Chief Paul Irwin of the Leeds Police Department. He emphasized the profound danger Haynes posed, not only to those at the restaurant but also to herself and others during the high-speed chase.
Irwin’s statement highlighted a disturbing pattern: the lengths to which addiction can drive someone. He noted the suspect’s actions were fueled by a desperate need to gamble, a compulsion that overshadowed any concern for safety or the law. The swift apprehension was a testament to inter-agency cooperation.
This incident isn’t isolated. Just days later, on January 6th, Huntsville police raided an illegal gambling operation, deploying a SWAT team to execute a search warrant. This followed a similar case in October, where authorities in Fort Payne seized 38 illegal gambling machines from three businesses, arresting a 20-year-old man.
These cases underscore a growing concern within Alabama. Recent data reveals that robbery is alarmingly common, ranking as the second most frequently reported crime in the state in 2024, with 1,753 incidents. The rate of 33.99 robberies per 100,000 residents even surpasses that of more violent crimes like rape and murder.
The escalating number of gambling-related crimes, coupled with the high incidence of robbery, paints a troubling picture. It suggests a complex interplay of desperation, addiction, and criminal activity that law enforcement agencies are actively working to address, striving to protect communities and bring perpetrators to justice.
