LCSO: Man confesses to more than 20 burglaries

Published 2:55 pm Tuesday, January 29, 2019

A man arrested in December on burglary charges has been connected to at least 23 other burglaries, an official said Tuesday.

Limestone County deputy and spokesman Stephen Young said 36-year-old Eddie Ray Fulmer of Athens was charged Monday with one count of second-degree burglary, one count of third-degree burglary and one count of first-degree theft of a vehicle. Young said Fulmer admitted he took part in dozens of burglaries in the county.

He faced similar charges in December, and Young said additional charges will be presented to a grand jury. Young said Fulmer was paroled in 2017 and is ineligible for bond because of a parole violation.

Fulmer and his wife, 28-year-old Angel Ballenger, were arrested last month in connection to a burglary that occurred while the homeowners were asleep in the home with their children. Young said the home was entered through a basement window and multiple guns, chainsaws and tools were stolen. The victim’s truck was also stolen to transport the stolen items. The truck was later found abandoned in Athens.

Fulmer and Ballenger were developed as suspects after one of the victim’s rifles was sold in DeKalb County. Young said the buyer became suspicious, so he checked the serial number and discovered it was stolen.

The couple was later located at a hotel in Bessemer on Dec. 28 and was arrested. Young said a ski mask was found in the room, and Fulmer later admitted to wearing it during the burglary.

“Further investigation revealed that Fulmer had a storage unit on Highway 72, and investigators obtained a search warrant on probable cause that the unit contained stolen items,” Young said. “Stolen property from the Highway 251 burglary and three other burglaries was seized from the storage unit.”

At the time, Fulmer confessed to the four burglaries to which he had been connected. On Monday, Young said Fulmer confessed to at least 20 other burglaries in Limestone County.

“Fulmer targeted outbuildings and residences, and he would then steal victims’ vehicles only to abandon them nearby,” Young said. “Some property has been recovered, but investigators are still working to recover the remaining property.”