Two arrested after home invasion turned murder; suspects nabbed after kidnapped victim breaks free, runs to safety
Published 9:44 am Tuesday, November 7, 2023
Two people have been arrested after a weekend home invasion that left a man shot and killed after he tried to protect his wife from the invaders, an Alabama sheriff said.
Early morning on Saturday, a husband and wife were awakened in their home at 1577 County Road 245 in Lawrence County by a man and woman who had broken into the home in an attempt to rob the couple.
During the crime Dustin Grimes was fatally shot in his bedroom while trying to protect his wife, Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office investigators said.
After the murder, the offenders proceeded to steal from the residence and kidnapped Grimes’ wife before fleeing the scene of the crime.
The criminals took Mrs. Grimes to an ATM in an attempt to force her to withdraw money for them. She managed to escape her captors in the process. When she saw an opportunity to escape she ran for her life and found refuge in a nearby convenience store where she was able to call law enforcement.
Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Moulton police officers arrived at the home on County Road 245 where they discovered Dustin Grimes deceased from an apparent gunshot wound.
Investigators with the help of Mrs. Grimes were able identify two suspects and obtained warrants for murder, robbery and kidnapping.
Auburn Renee Moore of New Hope, Alabama, and Jordan Cesar Hernandez of Decatur, Alabama, have been charged in the crime.
The identity of a third person that was involved is being withheld at this time for investigative purposes, investigators said.