Chase ends with capture

A homeless man wanted on felony warrants for several break-ins at camp houses in the Bradley community was taken into custody following a high-speed chase that involved multiple law enforcement agencies in Alabama and Florida.

Louis Allen Scott, 30, with no address, is currently being held in the Okaloosa County Jail in Florida awaiting extradition to the Escambia County Jail in Alabama where he faces three counts of burglary III and three counts of theft of property II.

A second suspect, Shane Bonifay, 41, of Goat Road, Wing, Ala., was arrested and charged with making a terrorist threat against sheriff's deputies and has been released from the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton on $25,000 bond.

Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Mike Lambert said over the past few months there had been several camp burglaries in the Bradley community and Inv. Bruce Shue led the investigation.

Lambert said he held a community-wide meeting in Bradley to help create a neighborhood watch program. He said with the combined efforts of the sheriff's office and the community, deputies went to Bonifay's residence after learning he had a failure to appear warrant out of Baldwin County.

With help from deputies in Covington County, a search was made of Bonifay's residence and several items reported stolen from the camp houses were recovered.

During the search, Lambert said Bonifay made threatening statements to deputies and was charged with making a terrorist threat.

Information gathered at Bonifay's residence turned the investigation toward Scott.

Lambert said Scott was apparently living in the national forest on the Florida side of the line. Florida Game and Fish officers detained Scott, and Lambert said more items reported stolen were found.

On Dec. 19, Lambert said he obtained warrants for Scott's arrest involving the camp house burglaries. He said deputies were in route to arrest Scott when they met him driving down the highway and attempted the make a traffic stop. He said Scott fled and a chase ensued.

Lambert said Scott fled into Covington County and then into Okaloosa County. Lambert said deputies terminated the pursuit at the Florida line but continued to follow the vehicle.

Okaloosa County sheriff's deputies intercepted Scott in the Blackwater Forest near Kennedy Bridge Road.

Scott exited his vehicle and fled on foot. Lambert said sheriff's deputies along with game and fish officers set up a perimeter and the K-9 tracking teams from Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties were called. Scott was later caught and arrested.

"Solving this case and getting the suspect in custody was a combined effort of multiple law enforcement agencies and the community," Lambert said. "With the help of Florida Game and Fish, the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, Covington County Sheriff's Office, the K-9 units and people in the community, we were able to make an arrest."

Lambert said the investigation continues into the camp house burglaries and he expects more arrests to come.