Man accused of stealing ex-wife’s car, causing 2 hit-and-runs in Coweta County

Carlos J. Dejesus-Hernandez

Credit: Coweta County Sheriff's Office

Credit: Coweta County Sheriff's Office

Carlos J. Dejesus-Hernandez

A Newnan man is accused of an afternoon crime spree that involved stealing his ex-wife’s car and causing two wrecks, authorities said.

Carlos J. Dejesus-Hernandez, 56, faces 10 charges after the incident last Friday, according to the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office. His ex-wife accused him of taking the keys in January and waiting until last week to steal her 2019 Chevrolet Malibu.

About 2 p.m., a deputy was waved down after a hit-and-run at the intersection of Bullsboro Drive and Celebrate Life Parkway, according to an incident report obtained by AJC.com. The victim said she was slowing down for a red light when her car was rear-ended by a sedan.

The driver, later identified as Dejesus-Hernandez, yelled at the woman after the incident and drove off, the report said. An off-duty Union City police officer also happened to be in the area, and he corroborated the woman’s story.

While at the scene, the deputy learned that Newnan police were at another hit-and-run scene two traffic lights away, the report said. No one was seriously injured in any of the wrecks.

Simultaneously, another deputy was speaking to Dejesus-Hernandez’s ex-wife about her missing vehicle. She said she had a protective order against Dejesus-Hernandez and told deputies where he lived.

Authorities realized that all three incidents were connected and went to Dejesus-Hernandez’s house off Lake Shore Drive, the report said. The damaged Chevrolet was outside the home.

Authorities arrested Dejesus-Hernandez on counts of aggravated assault, aggravated stalking, leaving the scene of an accident, theft by taking, obstruction, driving on a suspended license and following too closely, jail records show.

He was booked into the Coweta County jail, where he remains without bond.

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