A fugitive who hit a patrol car with a stolen U-Haul truck last month in Smyrna was able to avoid capture twice before finally being arrested, authorities said.
Dennis Z. Carlyle, who was arrested Sept. 9 in Sandy Springs, was also wanted by several other metro Atlanta law enforcement agencies and was under investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspectors, according to a social media post by the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office.
Agents and investigators with the U.S. Marshals' Fugitive Task Force found Carlyle barricaded inside the bathroom of an extended stay motel on Hammond Drive in Sandy Springs, the post said. Carlyle did not comply with officers' commands and a Taser was used before he was arrested, the sheriff’s office said.
After Sandy Springs police issued a search warrant for the motel room, officers said they found an ounce of a substance believed to be crystal methamphetamine and a handgun. Carlyle was also in possession of stolen mail, authorities said.
He is being held at the Fulton County Jail without bond.
During the initial incident Aug. 24, Carlyle backed the stolen U-Haul truck into a Smyrna patrol car after a pursuit and nearly struck the officer when he had exited his vehicle near West Spring and Roswell streets, AJC.com previously reported. The officer then fired at Carlyle, who ran away and avoided capture. A warrant for aggravated assault on a peace officer was then filed by Smyrna police.
A passenger in the stolen truck, Amanda Yanez, was arrested on the scene after initially running away. She is charged with nine misdemeanors and two felonies: theft by receiving stolen property and fleeing or attempting to elude police.
The fugitive task force joined the search for Carlyle a week later. Its first chance to catch him was Sept. 7 after he was spotted by Brookhaven police. But he was again able to escape and remain free, at least for two more days.
Sandy Springs police charged him with four counts of financial transaction card fraud, two counts of destruction of a mailbox and three counts of theft by taking.
“Thanks to our investigation, we assisted the Postal Inspector and were able to connect him with thousands of other crimes involving the theft of mail and identity theft,” Sgt. Salvador Ortega said. “The Postal Inspector will be adopting this case.”
In Smyrna, Carlyle has not officially been charged due to the ongoing investigation, according to police spokesman Sgt. Louis Defense.
— Please return to AJC.com for updates.
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