Man arrested in connection with Helena Winn Dixie robbery

Published 12:11 pm Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Shelby County and federal authorities arrested a man police think could be tied to as many as 14 armed robberies in Shelby and Jefferson counties.

Authorities arrested Adrian Terry Glenn Jr. of 4141 Pinson Valley Parkway in Birmingham Dec. 30 and charged him with one count of first-degree armed robbery and one count of first-degree receiving stolen property. Glenn turned himself in at the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

The arrest came after Helena’s Winn Dixie grocery store was robbed at gunpoint Nov. 16 by a black male who fled the store on a stolen motorcycle, explained Helena Police Department Capt. Tim Carter.

During the robbery, the suspect entered the store, pulled a revolver on a store cashier and followed the employee to the store’s safe, said police detective Chris Rollan. The Helena incident was one of 14 Winn Dixie robberies reported throughout the Birmingham metro area since late 2008, but was the only one reported in Shelby County.

“This person was the one we were mainly looking for because he was the one who entered the store and pulled a gun on the cashier,” Carter said, noting authorities are investigating two or three more suspects. “He was very meticulous and very professional, if you don’t mind that term.

“People think they can get away with stuff like this because we are a small town,” Carter added. “But we are not going to let people get away with things like this in our city.”

Glenn is a former Winn Dixie employee, and was working at a CVS distribution center when he was arrested. The suspect quit his job at Winn Dixie, but likely “knew the layout of the stores very well,” according to Rollan.

Rollan said police have been able to tie Glenn to three recent Winn Dixie robberies throughout the area, but he may be involved with all 14 reported since December 2008.

“We have had 14 confirmed robberies of this nature reported, but we don’t know how many he has been involved with,” said Rollan. “The total cash amount stolen in all the robberies is in excess of $70,000.”

Since the robberies, area Winn Dixie stores have changed their procedures, and have installed more advanced theft-prevention equipment, said Carter.

As of Dec. 30, Glenn was being held in the Shelby County Jail on a $1,101,000 bond.