Greenwood police arrested three male burglary suspects Wednesday following a high-speed chase that ended with the suspects’ car flipping over along the side of The Alluvian hotel.
The suspects, who range in age from 18 to 20, were arrested in connection with a break-in at a residence on West Claiborne Avenue Extended in which several guns and ammunition were taken, said Police Chief Terrence Craft.
Authorities had not charged any of the suspects Wednesday evening, though Craft said some of the expected charges include felony fleeing, burglary of a dwelling and numerous traffic violations. Two of the suspects are from Greenwood, and one is from Leland.
Around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, a Greenwood police officer noticed someone speeding in a 2010 Toyota Corolla down Leflore Avenue, which is just south of Hinman Bridge, Craft said. Near the north side of the bridge is West Claiborne Avenue Extended.
The officer began chasing the Corolla, which contained the three suspects, and called for backup, Craft said.
The high-speed pursuit ended when the suspects’ vehicle crashed into a Ford sedan at the intersection of Fulton and West Church streets.
The wreck caused the driver of the Corolla to lose control, and the car struck a Chevrolet Malibu that was parked along the westbound lane of West Church Street, right next to The Alluvian, Craft said.
Authorities survey the scene of Wednesday's accident before the crashed car is towed away. (By Gerard Edic)
The Corolla then ended up hitting the Church Street side of the hotel, breaking one window of the building.
Beth Williams, general manager of the hotel, said no guests or employees were injured. The wall that was struck is away from the hotel’s main entrance on Howard Street. Behind the wall is a storage area used by employees, Williams said.
In addition to the wrecking of several cars following a high-speed car chase Wednesday afternoon in Greenwood, the damage also included a broken window at The Alluvian. (By Gerard Edic)
At least four other vehicles parked behind the Malibu were damaged in the wreck.
The suspects were immediately arrested and transported to Greenwood Leflore Hospital, Craft said.
One was transferred to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson; the other two were released from the Greenwood hospital and were being held for investigation at the Leflore County Jail on Wednesday. No one else was injured, the police chief said.
Recovered at the scene of the wreck were various guns and ammunition stolen from the West Claiborne Avenue Extended residence of Murray and Kackie Kornfeld. Murray Kornfeld is the owner of Kornfeld’s Department Store, and his wife is the business manager at the Commonwealth.
Neither Craft nor Murray Kornfeld could say Wednesday evening how many items had been stolen. Kornfeld said he still had to go to the Police Department on Thursday morning to get a full list.
Kornfeld was notified Wednesday that someone had broken into his residence after police saw his name on a piece of paper found at the scene of the crash.
He was escorted to his residence by officers and discovered that his home had been entered through the windows that hold the air-conditioning units, he said.
His home does have a burglar alarm, but the suspects did not set it off because they entered through a window, Kornfeld said.
The interior of his residence looked as if “a tornado hit it,” Kornfeld said. Drawers were pulled out, including some that had been pulled off the hinges, and beds were torn up.
Kornfeld said he lost at least two guns — including a hunting rifle that was stored in his attic — and various types of ammunition, such as shotgun shells and shells for an AR-15 rifle. He estimated that at least $3,000 worth of ammunition and guns had been stolen.
Kornfeld’s residence was last broken into in September 2018, when the burglars took 13 guns, cash and jewelry. He also said that in years past he has seen footprints on top of his window air-conditioning units, a possible sign that someone was trying to jimmy the windows.
“People talk about feeling violated. You sure as hell do,” he said of being robbed.
Kornfeld said that many times he has seen young people walking down his street who have “no damn business walking on this street unless they’ve got something dirty on their mind,” citing the lack of businesses on it.
The Greenwood native said violent crime has risen in the city over the years.
“Guys and girls, it ain’t going to get better,” he said. “It’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better.”
- Contact Gerard Edic at 662-581-7239 or gedic@gwcommonwealth.com.
