RICKEY STOKES NEWS
A 32-year-old Birmingham woman is behind bars after an alleged robbery at a Chick-fil-A in Leeds that dramatically escalated into a casino visit and a high-speed pursuit that ended in a crash, authorities say.
Police identified the suspect as Kaudija Shondrelle Haynes, who is accused of using mace to rob an employee at the Chick-fil-A on Ashville Road shortly after 9 a.m. on Friday, January 2.
According to Leeds law enforcement, Haynes pulled into the restaurant’s drive-thru window and threatened a worker with mace, demanding the cash bag. The employee complied, handing over the money before Haynes sped out of the parking lot — “recklessly,” police said. Using surveillance footage and investigative tools, detectives were able to track Haynes’ vehicle to the Wind Creek Casino in Wetumpka. Officials believe she was gambling with the stolen money when officers located her.
When authorities approached her outside the casino, Haynes resisted arrest and fled in her vehicle, leading Leeds officers, Wetumpka Police, and the Poarch Creek Tribal Police Department in a pursuit that ended when her vehicle crashed into multiple trees.
Haynes was taken into custody and is currently being held at the Elmore County Jail with bond set at $116,000, according to jail records.
Authorities say she faces an array of charges, including:
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Attempting to elude law enforcement
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Resisting arrest
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Unlawful possession of a controlled substance
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Unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia
Additional charges linked to the Chick-fil-A incident — including first-degree robbery, reckless endangerment, and fourth-degree theft of property — are pending. Once released from Elmore County, she is expected to be transferred to the St. Clair County Jail to face those counts.
Leeds Police Chief Paul Irwin praised the Chick-fil-A employee for complying with training procedures by handing over the money to avoid injury. He noted that no employees or customers were harmed during the robbery.
Irwin also stressed the dangers posed by the suspect’s actions during the pursuit, saying she endangered others on the road and could have caused serious injuries.
As the case moves through the court system, investigators continue to review the incident and the factors that may have contributed to the suspect’s actions.
