December 6, 2011 - A Flomaton man is charged with stealing a woman’s purse during prayer at a local church because, he told police, he was smoking crack in Century and ran out of money.

The man, later identified as 30-year old Morris Andy Cumbie, walked into the Sunday evening service at the Flomaton Church of Christ about 6:15. Witnesses told Flomaton Police that Cumbie sat down in a pew, and as soon as heads were bowed for the opening prayer, he grabbed a church member’s purse and bolted out the door.

Church members gave chase, but backed off when Cumbie told them that he had a gun, Flomaton Police Chief Geoff McGraw said. He then sped away in Toyota Corolla.

Police turned to technology in an attempt to catch their purse snatcher. The victim’s cellphone was inside the purse; the cellphone company was able to narrow the location of the phone down to the area of Campbell and Old Flomaton roads in Century. Police were unable to locate the phone in the dark, but witnesses did report seeing a Toyota Corolla matching the suspect’s in the area.

“Then I was blessed enough to remember having dealt with Mr. Cumbie before,” McGraw said, “and we went to his house out from Brewton.”

McGraw said Cumbie initially denied any involvement and eventually gave authorities consent to search his home and Toyota Corolla. In the car, police found a bank statement belonging to the victim that had been in her purse.

Cumbie was booked into the Escambia County (Ala.) Detention Center in Brewton on charges of felony first degree robbery and second degree theft of property.