John Andrew Kister
As Reported By The Decatur Police
DECATUR-The Decatur Police Department is currently investigating a series of violent
crimes which occurred overnight.
The clerk at the Payless convenience store located at 2719 Spring Ave. SW
was robbed on two separate occasions during the night. The first robbery occurred
at approximately 10:42pm. The second at approximately 4:50am.
The clerk at the Raceway convenience store located at 2331 Hwy 20E was
robbed at approximately 3:40am.
The clerk of the Jet-Pep convenience store located at 106 6th Ave. NE was
robbed at approximately 9:30am.
The suspect in each of these robberies was described as a white male with
salt and pepper hair, armed with a knife, and driving a red Pontiac Grand Am.
The offender has been identified as John Andrew Kister. He was located and
taken into custody by officers of the Decatur Police Department’s Anti-Crime Unit.
Kister has been charged with four counts of Robbery in the First Degree and is
currently being held in the Decatur City Jail. Bond has not been set.
Shortly after 9:00pm, the Decatur Police Department received a report of
shots being fired into a house in the 600 block of 5th Ave. SW. No one in the
house was hit. The shots reportedly came from a silver Nissan Altima with several
black males occupants.
Shortly before 10:00pm, officers responded to a report of a shooting in the
100 block of Albert St. SW. Upon arrival, the officers found the body of a man in
the carport of the house. The body had what appeared to be multiple bullet wounds.
Investigators and crime scene technicians arrived an assumed control of the scene.
Morgan County District Attorney Scott Anderson and Coroner Jeff Chunn also
responded to the scene. The identity of the victim is being withheld pending
notification of the next of kin.
Shortly before 11:30pm, officers responded to a reported robbery in the
1600 block of 8th Ave. SW. The victim told the officers she arrived home with
her 5 year old daughter who had been asleep in the back seat of her car. She went
into her house to turn down her daughters bed and when she returned to her car
to get her daughter she noticed a light colored Nissan Altima parked in front of
her house. She was suddenly approached by two black males dressed all in black
and wearing ski masks. One of the individuals was armed with what she described
as a long black gun. One of the individuals demanded money and threatened to kill
her in front of her child if she didn’t comply. The victim responded by giving them
her purse. The two then ran to the Altima and left. Neither the victim nor her daughter
was injured.
Just after 12:30am, officers responded to a report of shots fired in the 400
block of 5th Ave. SW. The officers spoke to the resident who told them that she had
been sitting on her couch when she heard the sound of multiple gunshots and glass
breaking. She ran into her bathroom for safety, then called the police. The officers
located what appeared to be multiple bullet holes in the side of the house. A witness
told police that she heard gunshots and saw a silver Nissan Altima with a black bumper
driving away at a high rate of speed. The victim was not injured.
Shortly after 1:15am, a man came to the front desk of the police department
and reported that he had been robbed at the intersection of 11th Ave. and 2nd St. NW.
The man told officers that he was on his bicycle when a grey four door car stopped.
He said that two black males dressed in black got out of the car. One was armed
with a handgun, the other with a shotgun. A third back male stayed in the car. One
of the individuals demanded his property. The victim said that he turned and ran
and as he was running away, he heard one of the individuals yelling for the other to
shoot him. No shots were fired and the victim escaped unharmed.
At approximately 9:00am officers responded to a report of a dead body in the
large pavilion near Adventureland in Wilson Morgan Park. The victim appeared to
be a Hispanic male and preliminary evidence indicates that he was shot once in the
head. Evidence recovered at the scene indicates that this shooting may be related
to the other acts of violence which occurred overnight. Investigators and crime scene technicians along with District Attorney Scott Anderson and Coroner Jeff Chunn
responded to this scene as well. The identity of the victim is not known at this time.
The body was discovered by a passer-by.
The Decatur Police Department is currently seeking information on the suspects
in these cases and their vehicle. Anyone who might have seen an older model bronze
or silver Nissan Altima with a dark colored bumper or a group of black males dressed
all in black last night or who might have any other information related to any of these
cases is asked to call the Decatur Police Department at 256-476-7638. A $1,000.00
reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the
individuals involved in these incidents.
All Decatur residents are urged to be on the lookout out for this vehicle
and take precautions to ensure their safety. If anyone sees the vehicle or anyone
acting suspiciously, they are urged to call 911 immediately.
Decatur City Hall • 402 Lee Street, NE
Post Office Box 488 • Decatur, AL 35602-0488
Phone (256) 341-4600
