DNA match could close year-old burglary case in Spanish Ft.

SPANISH FORT, Ala. (WALA) - It’s been nearly a year since a collectibles store in Spanish Fort was burglarized. The thieves stole tens of thousands of dollars-worth of Pokémon cards and other memorabilia. Now, thanks to DNA evidence left behind, two Louisiana men are behind bars, charged with the crime.

Surveillance video from April 25, 2023 shows two brazen thieves break through the front door of Big Hit Sports Cards in Spanish Fort and proceed to clean the store out of valuable collectors’ cards and other memorabilia. In total, the thieves were only inside for less than a minute before making their escape through the rear of the business.

“It was very, very quick so they did leave some DNA evidence behind as they were breaking in and trying to go out the back door there,” said Lt. Steven Mooney with Spanish Fort Police.

Investigators collected that evidence and sent it off to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). Property crimes usually take much longer to get a return, so Spanish Fort Police were pleasantly surprised when they learned of two positive matches late last year.

Cedric Vondo and Leon Rowe, Jr. of Iberville Parish, Louisiana matched the samples, and both were located and arrested in Louisiana last week. Big Hit Sports Cards owner, Nathan Carraway was notified of the arrests and thrilled to get some closure.

“It brings a whole lot of closure and satisfaction,” Carraway said. “It will be nice to know that those guys are going to serve some time, hopefully and they’ll get what’s coming to them.”

Vondo and Rowe may face more charges that just the Spanish Fort theft. Investigators said there were three other burglaries in the Florida panhandle and one on the Mississippi coast during the same timeframe, all involving memorabilia stores where Pokémon cards and similar items were taken.

“Common sense might tell you they may be related. Of course, in law enforcement we have to physically tie those crimes together with evidence, which now that we have an arrest in ours, we’re working with other agencies that have similar incidents and they’re trying to work on tying these people to those crimes as well,” Mooney explained.

Spanish Fort PD is working through the extradition process now and hopes to have both Cedric Vondo and Leon Rowe back here in the next seven to 10 days. They’ll both face third-degree burglary charges.

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