Alabama men face felony charges after alleged pharmacy heist and high-speed pursuit

Two Alabama men are in jail Friday after they allegedly burglarized a Kennett pharmacy early Thursday and led police on a high-speed pursuit.

Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney Nicholas Jain charged Cornelius Bray and David Evans, both 30, and both of Birmingham Ala., with 14 felonies in connection to the burglary of Harris Pharmacy.

The alleged burglars are charged with five counts of felony delivery of a controlled substance, five counts of felony stealing a controlled substance/methamphetamine manufacturing materials, felony aggravated fleeing, felony tampering with a motor vehicle, felony burglary, and felony possession of burglary tools.

According to a Probable Cause Affidavit (PCA) filed by Kennett Police Dept. Officer Aaron Mays, the chase began after the burglary when a white 2022 Nissan Sentra bearing Tennessee tags passed his unit.

The car was seen in previous days outside the pharmacy, and subjects inside the vehicle were taking photos of the store, the PCA stated.

Mays chased the Sentra at speeds eclipsing 130 mph on Hwy 412 into Pemiscot County, where the subjects pulled into a neighborhood and parked the vehicle in a driveway out of the officer's line of sight, the PCA indicated.

Steele Police Dept. officers continued the chase until the Sentra, which Birmingham police said was reported stolen, crashed at Hwy 61 and Hwy O, and both men bailed from the wreckage, according to the PCA.

Evans was arrested at the scene by Pemiscot County Sheriff's Office deputies, Steele Police Dept. officers, and Hayti Police Dept. officers, Mays' PCA stated.

Bray fled on foot but was arrested at Hayti later on Thursday, the PCA indicated.

Both men were taken to the Pemiscot Memorial Hospital for medical exams and treatment, May's PCA indicated.

The owner of Harris Pharmacy reported the theft of 20 bottles of Pregabalin, three bottles each of alprazolam, diazepam, and lorazepam, and 15 bottles of hydrocodone/apap, according to the affidavit.

Mays reported that most of those prescription medicines were strewn across the crash site and that more evidentiary items would be inventoried after a search warrant was ordered and executed on the vehicle.

Evans and Bray have extensive criminal histories, and Evans is on the run from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office for methamphetamine trafficking and a no-bond warrant, police said.

35th Judicial District Circuit Court Associate Judge John Spielman Thursday issued warrants for both Evans and Bray's arrests and ordered $250,000 cash-only bonds, according to court records.

Both Evans and Bray are in police custody in lieu of bond at the Dunklin County Justice Center at Kennett.