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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Marshals are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of a Missouri couple accused of a crime spree spanning three states.
Blake Edward Fitzgerald, 30, and his girlfriend, Brittany Nicole Harper, 30, are wanted on charges of kidnapping, burglary and theft, and are believed to have most recently committed crimes in Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
The string of crimes started Sunday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, when the couple allegedly kidnapped a hotel clerk, stole his car, drove to Vestavia Hills, Alabama, released the hostage, and abandoned the stolen car. Law enforcement believes Fitzgerald then entered a residential home while the family was present, displayed a handgun and stole the family’s Ford Edge in Vestavia Hills, forcing the wife to go with him in the stolen vehicle against her will. The woman was later released unharmed in Birmingham, Alabama.
On Monday, the couple is believed to have robbed a convenience store in Perry, Georgia, also kidnapping and later releasing a clerk from the store.
It is believed they were responsible for two additional robberies that took place in Walnut Hills, Florida, and Destin, Florida, Wednesday. They were last seen driving a black Ford F-150 truck with a broken rear, right window.
The Marshals are focusing their attention on Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Missouri, all states in which Fitzgerald and Harper are alleged to have committed crimes or been spotted.
“Thankfully, no innocent member of the public has been physically harmed by this modern-day Bonnie and Clyde, but the couple is armed and dangerous, and has a history of violent crimes and a string of new charges,” said U.S. Marshal Martin Keely of the Northern District of Alabama. “The U.S. marshals and law enforcement need the public’s assistance in locating this dangerous couple, so we can get them off the streets and put a stop to their armed robberies, kidnappings and other crimes.”
Fitzgerald is a 5-foot-6 white male weighing about 160 pounds. He has a shaved head, hazel eyes and many tattoos, most notably covering his entire right arm. Harper is a 5-foot-10 white female weighing about 130 pounds. She has blue eyes and blond hair. They are both known drug users and should be considered armed and dangerous.
A reward of up to $5,000 each is being offered for information leading directly to Fitzgerald’s and Harper’s arrest. Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office or the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102 or email: [email protected].
