A man wanted in a Cherokee County vehicle-stealing spree was held at gunpoint by two local citizens before being taken into custody Monday after an overnight high-speed chase and hours-long search, officials said in a news release.
Jacob “Cole” Henson, 25, of Canton, was wanted on several charges, including burglary, obstruction, fleeing and attempting to elude, reckless conduct and reckless driving, according to authorities. He is accused of stealing trucks, ATVs and threatening people with a sawed-off shotgun.
The hunt for him began just after 3 a.m. Monday when deputies found a vehicle still running and unoccupied on Little Refuge Road in Waleska, Cherokee County sheriff’s spokesman Jay Baker said in the release. The vehicle had been reported stolen from Dawson County on Sunday night.
Deputies shut down the road due to receiving reports of similar incidents occurring in Cherokee and nearby counties, Baker said. Officials then searched for the man in a wooded area near the wreck site all Monday morning.
By 12:30 p.m., deputies spotted Henson driving a dirt bike on Little Refuge Road.
“After a short chase, Henson crashed the dirt bike and fled into the woods,” Baker said.
But he didn’t get away for long.
A neighbor who lived off Little Refuge Road, who asked Channel 2 Action News to remain anonymous, said the suspect was hiding on her property.
She grabbed her gun and fired four warning shots, Channel 2 reported.
“By me firing shots in the air, it alerted my neighbor, so he knew he was coming his way,” the woman told the news station.
Deputies searched the woods and heard gunshots from the area. As they continued the search, they found the man holding Henson at gunpoint.
Henson was taken to Northside Hospital Cherokee to be evaluated for injuries from the dirt bike crash, Baker said.
Cherokee County authorities tied Henson to five crimes, which took place between July 22 and Aug. 4, AJC.com previously reported. Several of the stolen vehicles ended up wrecked or abandoned.
RELATED: Cops: Canton man steals trucks, ATVs, threatens victims with sawed-off shotgun
In one incident, three victims told authorities they tried to chase Henson down when he allegedly stole a red Chevrolet truck and a trailer, but Henson got out of the truck and pointed a sawed-off shotgun at them.
In another, he allegedly stole a blue Dodge pickup with its owner still in the passenger seat, according to a police report. When a deputy tried to pull the truck over, the vehicle’s owner was forced out and a handgun was tossed onto the road. The deputy stopped to check on the victim, who was not injured.
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