Crime
Tiffany Bonner Identified as Victim Found in Burning Vehicle in Munford
MUNFORD, AL – The Talladega County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a body was discovered inside a burning vehicle behind a home on Jenifer Road in Munford on Sunday evening.
Deputies responded to a report of a car fire at approximately 5:30 p.m. Upon arrival, they found a deceased individual inside the vehicle.
Investigators are working to determine if foul play was involved, though the identity of the victim has not yet been officially confirmed.
Family members of Tiffany Bonner, a local Munford resident, believe she may be the individual found in the vehicle.
Kerri Dennis, a lifelong friend of Bonner, recalled the moment she was informed of her friend’s possible death.
“Her oldest daughter and grandmother called me around 10 o’clock,” Dennis said. “They don’t normally call me, so I knew something was wrong. I asked, ‘He killed her, didn’t he?’ and they said, ‘Yeah, I’m so sorry. She’s gone.’”
Following the discovery of the burning vehicle, deputies began searching for a person of interest reportedly seen walking along Quail Run Road with a firearm.
When deputies attempted to approach the individual, the suspect brandished a weapon, prompting law enforcement to open fire.
The person of interest was transported to a hospital and remains in stable condition. Authorities have not yet released their identity.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.