TUSCUMBIA — Alert neighbors helped police arrest a man linked to a rash of residential and car burglaries, officials said.

"It's all about neighbors looking out for neighbors and taking note if they see something suspicious," Tuscumbia Police Chief Tony Logan said.

Robert Steven Wallace, 22, Dearborn Apartment D4, Muscle Shoals, is charged with three counts of third-degree burglary and two counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle, Logan said.

Tuscumbia police detective Sgt. Stuart Setliff said the residential and car burglaries occurred on Maclin Drive and Chess Lane, south of U.S. 72.

Setliff said Wallace was taken into custody last week when officer Lucas Stansell found him inside a car on Maclin Drive. Arrest warrants were issued late Monday.

Reports indicate Stansell was on Chess Lane taking a burglary report when he got a call of a suspicious vehicle on Maclin Drive.

"Lucas was talking to someone who had seen a man come from a garage with a chainsaw," Setliff said. "While he's there, other neighbors start coming out telling him what they had seen and about other possible burglaries in the neighborhood."

Setliff said while Stansell was talking with residents, he got a call of a suspicious vehicle on Maclin Drive, which was nearby.

"Lucas got to Maclin Drive and saw Wallace inside the truck trying to take items out, and took him into custody," Setliff said.

Police said officers located a Chevrolet Impala that belonged to Wallace and that it was filled with stolen items.

Setliff said inside the car were Christmas gifts, floor jacks, chainsaws, clothing, electronics, tools, a rain jacket, Bibles, and bacon and chicken taken from a refrigerator.

"Basically, he was taking whatever he could find," Logan said.

Setliff said Wallace is a suspect in other burglaries in Muscle Shoals.

"According to information we have gotten from other agencies, (Wallace) has been a suspect in a number of burglaries for several weeks," Logan said. "Fortunately, we were able to catch him in the act. This should clear up some cases the other agencies have been working on."

Wallace was being held in Colbert County Jail without bail.

Tom Smith can be reached at 256-740-5757 or tom.smith@TimesDaily.com.