University Of Alabama Student, Friend, And Dog KilledPolice Say Killer Knew The Victims

According to The Post Millennial, De'Kendrick Crawford was taken into custody following a four-hour tactical operation at an apartment complex in Tuscaloosa County. Authorities allege that Crawford is responsible for the deaths of 22-year-old University of Alabama student Jazmine Alexis Bates, originally from Chicago, and father of three Jose Felix Alvarez-Duenas, who were found shot to death while house-sitting for a neighbor.

The victims were reportedly killed on July 5 or 6 while staying at a residence on the 12900 block of Alabama Junction Road, where Alvarez-Duenas had agreed to care for a homeowners dog while she was out of the country. Bates had gone to the home to visit her friend, only for both to be gunned down, along with the pet dog, in what appears to be a targeted attack rather than random street crime.

July 11, 2026

Crawfords arrest came after a multi-agency response that underscores how seriously local law enforcement is treating violent crime in the community. "After four hours of tactical operations including drones, tear gas, walls and doors being breached, and attics being searched with K-9s, yeah, he never gave up," said Violent Crimes Unit Capt. Jack Kennedy during a Tuesday press briefing, noting that Crawford was apprehended roughly 10 hours after the bodies were discovered.

The homeowner, unable to reach Alvarez-Duenas on July 5 and 6, requested a welfare check and reviewed her doorbell-style surveillance cameras, where she observed a man acting suspiciously. That footage became a key piece of evidence, helping investigators quickly narrow in on a suspect and prevent what many residents fear in such cases: a dangerous killer remaining at large.

Authorities revealed that Crawford was not a stranger to the victims, but someone from their social and work circles. "We were able to identify who that suspicious person was that was seen on the doorbell cameras, and the person turned out to be an acquaintance of everyone there, including the primary resident. They used to all work together at a local business," said Capt. Kennedy, adding that everyone involved "knew each other and socialized together at some point in the past."

Brookwood Police officers arrived at the home at 1 pm on July 6 and found Alvarez-Duenas dead immediately upon entering, with Bates later discovered in a bedroom closet, both killed by gunshot wounds along with the dog. The brutality of the scene highlights the growing concern among many Americans that leniency toward violent offenders and failures to aggressively enforce existing laws can have devastating consequences for innocent families.

Crawford already had an outstanding felony warrant tied to a May 2026 shooting in which a University of Alabama building was struck, yet he remained free until this triple killing forced a full-scale manhunt. After local authorities obtained a capital murder warrant and enlisted the US Marshals Task Force, Crawford was tracked to a relatives apartment in Northport, where he refused to surrender and had to be extracted by tactical teams.

Investigators have not disclosed a motive, but they indicated that more charges are expected as the case develops. "This individual here is responsible for what he did," said Capt. Kennedy. "No one did anything incorrect to cause this. We don't know why he targeted them. They were not doing anything wrong. They had done nothing wrong to him. None of his acquaintances know why this occurred."

As President Trumps second administration continues to emphasize law and order, this case will likely fuel further calls from conservatives for tougher penalties on repeat violent offenders and stricter enforcement of existing gun and felony statutes. For a young mother from Chicago, a hardworking father of three, and a family pet, the systems failure to restrain a previously wanted suspect came far too late, leaving a community demanding accountability and justice.