
Three charged in Decatur-area theft cases involving former employees
May 10—Decatur police recently charged three people with theft after they allegedly were involved in two separate schemes to steal from their employers.
A Madison man and his son were charged with first-degree theft of property after allegedly keeping thousands of dollars collected from customers for contracting work and failing to return the money to the company that employed them, according to a Decatur police detective's affidavit.
The affidavit states that Griffin Scott Littlefield, 64, of Madison, and his son, Griffin Scott Littlefield II, 27, of Athens, were employed by an Athens-based construction company during May and June 2024.
"During those months, both of the Littlefields conducted multiple contracting jobs within the city of Decatur for the business," the affidavit said. "During those months, both Littlefields collected well over $2,500 from customers and withheld the money from the business before quitting."
In November 2024, the business owner contacted the Decatur Police Department to report the thefts, according to the affidavit.
The Littlefields stole approximately $60,000 from the Athens business, with nearly $8,000 of the theft reportedly occurring within Decatur city limits, according to the Decatur Police Department.
The Police Department said the younger Littlefield was located by the Athens Police Department on May 1 and placed under arrest for his active warrant, then transferred to the custody of Decatur police and placed in the Morgan County Jail. The elder Littlefield turned himself in to the Decatur Police Department on Tuesday and was booked into the Morgan County Jail.
They were released after each posted a $5,000 bond, according to jail records.
Another theft of property involving a theft from Discount Tobacco Outlet on Beltline Road Southwest occurred in June 2024, according to Decatur police, when a former employee of the business allegedly removed multiple business deposits from their safe, totaling over $2,000.
Trinity resident Amy Nicole Bridges, 52, was identified as the primary suspect in the theft and a warrant was issued for her arrest in August 2024, according to police. Police said she was arrested Wednesday by the Trinity Police Department on the warrant and charged with first-degree theft of property.
Bridges was booked into Morgan County Jail and held in lieu of a $5,000 bond and jail records show she bonded out Thursday.
— wesley.tomlinson@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CBS News
13 minutes ago
- CBS News
University of Michigan accused of using undercover investigators to spy on pro-Palestinian students
There are new claims from University of Michigan students who say undercover investigators have been following and recording them due to their participation in pro-Palestinian protests on campus. The students claim this has been happening for at least the past year. CBS News Detroit spoke with one of those students who shot video of one of the alleged investigators, whom he claims the university contracted through its agreement with City Shield Security Services. Josiah Walker is entering his senior year at U of M, but he says his junior year, when he served on the executive board of now-banned SAFEUmich, was defined by fear and paranoia. That was when he said he found out he was being followed by undercover investigators, who he believes targeted him for protesting the war in Gaza. Walker says he kept seeing the same people in the same vehicles filming him and other protesters. He turned the camera around on this man who, in their first interaction in July 2024, allegedly claimed to have a disability, and in their second interaction two weeks later, claimed Walker was trying to rob him. "It was extraordinarily racist of this individual to do what he did, and it was extremely ableist to do what he did, and it was also extremely dangerous because a bystander could have intervened more violently," Walker said. The university didn't deny the surveillance accusations in a statement, and defense attorneys even planned on using the evidence in court when arguing several trespassing charges stemming from the pro-Palestinian encampment that was broken up in May 2024. Walker faced two trespassing charges that Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel eventually dropped. "It shows exactly what we've been saying from the beginning, that there's an underlying bias against Palestinian advocacy and pro-Palestinian voices at the University of Michigan," said defense attorney Amir Makled. Walker claims these undercover agents were contracted with the university through a Detroit-based company called City Shield, and that business relationship is public on the university's website. Responding to Walker's video, the university said in a statement, "The University of Michigan does not tolerate behavior by employees or contractors that demeans individuals or communities, including those with disabilities. We are disturbed by the behavior displayed on the video and are taking appropriate next steps." Public records show the university spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on City Shield services between June and September 2024. Still, a university official told CBS News Detroit many of those dollars are going toward 24/7 security for university employees who've been subject to hate crimes at their homes, offices and businesses that pro-Palestinian groups have taken responsibility for. The officials said that money also goes toward hiring security for events and gatherings on campus. Most recently, pro-Palestinian activists are thought to be behind the damage and vandalism of hundreds of plants at the university's famed peony gardens. The university also claims it never use security resources to target individuals or groups based on their beliefs, but the official I spoke to who didn't want to go on camera says this is different because many of the members of these pro-Palestinian groups are also being investigated for criminal activity that happen to stem from their beliefs. CBS News Detroit reached out to City Shield for comment. The University of Michigan issued the following statement on the incidents: The safety and privacy of our students, faculty, staff, and visitors are of utmost importance to the University of Michigan. The University takes a layered approach to campus security and evaluates needs based on a range of factors, particularly during periods of heightened activity or concern. Security decisions are made solely to maintain a safe and secure environment and are never directed at individuals or groups based on their beliefs or affiliations. We do not comment on specific security tactics or operational details to preserve their effectiveness. The University of Michigan does not tolerate behavior by employees or contractors that demeans individuals or communities, including those with disabilities. We are disturbed by the behavior displayed on the video and are taking appropriate next steps. We ask anyone who witnesses or experiences inappropriate behavior by an employee or contractor to report it to DPSS or the Equity, Civil Rights, and Title IX Office. All complaints will be reviewed and addressed appropriately.


CBS News
28 minutes ago
- CBS News
Candlelight vigil takes place Friday for slain Baldwin Park Police Officer Samuel Riveros
A candlelight vigil will take place Friday night outside the Baldwin Park Police Department to honor Officer Samuel Riveros, who was shot and killed last Saturday while responding to a call. Police are asking community members to "please come and stand with us in remembrance, love, and solidarity as we reflect on his life, his service, and the impact he had on all of us." Riveros, a nine-year department veteran was shot killed when he responded around 7:15 p.m. Saturday to reports of a man armed with a rifle on the 4200 block of Filhurst Avenue. Two officers had already arrived at the scene, where they found 43-year-old Darius Wong lying on the sidewalk, unresponsive. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said the two officers arrived in separate cars and were "immediately fired upon by this suspect, who had a rifle." The 22-year-old suspect, Eduardo Roberto Medina-Berumen, allegedly shot Riveros as he arrived at the scene. Officer Samuel Riveros. Baldwin Park Police Department Wong, a father of two from Hacienda Heights, was in the area for a family party and was moving his car to park it when he was shot and killed, allegedly by Medina-Berumen. Luna said gunfire was exchanged between police and Medina-Berumen, who was armed with an AR-15-style weapon. One other police officer was injured in the exchange of gunfire, and the suspect was treated at a hospital for his gunshot wounds. He was set to appear in court on Friday, but that was postponed. At an earlier news conference, Baldwin Park Police Chief Robert Lopez called Riveros an "amazing guy." "He answered a call of duty of shots fired to protect our residents in Baldwin Park," Lopez said. "He and his other officer responded and as is customary with any police officer, or any sheriff's deputy, they always respond and go into the fire." Riveros began as a public safety trainee in April 2016 and was sworn in as an officer six months later. He was selected for the department's SWAT team in 2019, where he served for five years. In 2024 he was appointed as a field training officer. Riveros graduated from UC Irvine and was known for his tactical skills and professionalism, according to the BPPD. He was also an avid Dodgers fan and snowboarder. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell offered his condolences to the family of the officer in a statement. "This heartbreaking loss is a solemn reminder of the risks officers take every day when protecting their community," he said. "Our hearts are with Baldwin Park PD as they mourn a beloved colleague and prayers for his wounded colleague. We stand with you during this time of profound grief."


Newsweek
32 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Kilmar Abrego Garcia Charged With Human Trafficking: Read the Indictment
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The United States fetched Kilmar Abrego Garcia from El Salvador on Friday, nearly three months after his mistaken deportation, charging the Maryland-based migrant who became a flashpoint in the Trump administration's immigration policies with federal human trafficking crimes. The 29-year-old Salvadoran national is accused of taking part in a human smuggling ring for around nine years, according to a Tennessee grand jury indictment filed on May 21. The indictment was made public on Friday, as Abrego Garcia was en route to the U.S. to be arraigned. Friday afternoon, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Abrego Garcia had landed back in the U.S. "to face justice", after the Trump administration previously avoided facilitating his return from his home country despite an order by the U.S. Supreme Court. His attorneys said at a media briefing Friday evening that the government was playing "dirty tricks". Why It Matters After it emerged Abrego Garcia was deported following an "administrative error" under the Alien Enemies Act, the Trump administration insisted that he was a known MS-13 gang member and criminal, despite not presenting evidence. The indictment finally lays out the allegations against him. Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a news conference about Kilmar Abrego Garcia at the Justice Department, Friday June 6, 2025, in Washington. Right: Protestors call for the release of Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia,... Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a news conference about Kilmar Abrego Garcia at the Justice Department, Friday June 6, 2025, in Washington. Right: Protestors call for the release of Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported to CECOT prison in El Salvador before the administration of US President Donald Trump admitted he was sent there due to an "administrative error," outside the Metropolitan Detention Center of the Federal Bureau of Prisons during a May Day Workers Unite! march in Los Angeles, California, on May 1, 2025. More AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson/PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images What To Know The ten-page indictment filed in Tennessee charges Abrego Garcia with: Conspiracy to transport aliens Unlawful transportation of undocumented aliens Bondi said Abrego Garcia would be tried on these charges and, if found guilty, serve a sentence in the U.S. before being returned to El Salvador. Abrego Garcia's legal team told reporters Friday evening that he would be rigorously defending the allegations against him. What Did Abrego Garcia Allegedly Do? The indictment alleges that between 2016 and 2025, Abrego Garcia and a group of others "conspired to bring undocumented aliens to the United States from countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador, and elsewhere." These migrants passed through Mexico before reached the U.S. The Salvadoran allegedly used cell phones and social media to coordinate the operation, taking payments from the individuals they were smuggling. The indictment repeats the claim that Abrego Garcia was a member of the MS-13 gang, linked to the aforementioned countries and originating out of Los Angeles, and that he used his status within the gang to "further his criminal activity". Abrego Garcia allegedly worked with other individuals to collect the migrants who had crossed the U.S.-Mexico border into Texas and transport them elsewhere within the U.S. Some of the women Abrego Garcia transported allegedly told other members of the group that he had abused them. What People Are Saying Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, in a statement sent to Newsweek: "For the last 2 months, the media and Democrats have burnt to the ground any last shred of credibility they had left as they glorified Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a known MS13 gang member, human trafficker, and serial domestic abuser. "Today, the United States of America confronts Kilmar Abrego Garcia with overwhelming evidence— he is being indicted by a grand jury for human smuggling, including children, and conspiracy. "Justice awaits this Salvadoran man." Abrego Garcia's attorney Ama Frimpong told a briefing about his wife: "Jennifer learned about this information from the press." Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn posted on X Friday afternoon: "It's finally time for Abrego Garcia to face justice." What's Next Noem confirmed Abrego Garcia's return to the U.S. in a court filing Friday afternoon. A court hearing has not yet been announced.