Apopka man killed during attempted robbery in Alabama national forest

CLAY COUNTY, Ala. — An Apopka man was killed Sunday after he was shot in the back during an attempted robbery at Talladega National Forest in Alabama.

Officials with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office say 22-year-old Adam Simjee was driving down National Forestry Road 600-3 with his girlfriend Sunday morning when they were flagged down by a woman asking for help with her car.

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Deputies say sometime after the couple decided to help the woman, identified as Yasmine Hider, she pulled a gun on them and forced them to walk into the woods.

According to the sheriff’s office, as they were walking, Simjee pulled his own gun and exchanged gunfire with Hider.

Simjee was shot and died at the scene.

Hider was also shot multiple times. After she was shot, deputies say Hider called to a second woman, identified as Krystal Pinkins, who was standing nearby watching what was happening.

Investigators say the two suspects spoke briefly before Pinkins ran away from the scene. Simjee’s girlfriend was then able to use her cell phone to call for help.

According to the sheriff’s office, the first deputies on scene arrived to find Simjee’s girlfriend performing CPR on him and Hider on the ground suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

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During their investigation, deputies say they learned of an armed, potentially violent group of people that may be “living off the grid” somewhere in the National Forest.

Law enforcement agencies from all around responded to the area searching both on land and in the air for Pinkins or her group.

They eventually found a group of tents set up about a half-mile from where the robbery had been reported. That’s where they found a woman later confirmed to be Pinkins.

Deputies say as they went to take Pinkins into custody, her five-year-old son ran from the woods holding a loaded shotgun. Deputies say the boy ran to Pinkins before putting the gun down without incident.

Pinkins was immediately arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child. The child was turned over to the Alabama Department of Human resources.

After further investigation, deputies say they found cause to charge Pinkins with one count of murder, two counts of kidnapping, and two counts of robbery.

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The sheriff’s office has already obtained arrest warrants for the same charges against Hider, who remains in custody in a Birmingham hospital while she recovers from surgery.

Deputies say Simjee’s girlfriend wasn’t physically harmed in the attack, but did suffer some mental stress and trauma.

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