Hours-long manhunt ends with 2 arrests in Putnam County

May 22—EATONTON, Ga. — A manhunt by area and state law enforcement agencies culminated in Putnam County last Thursday afternoon with two arrests.

Two suspects wanted in connection with the hijacking of a car and a high-speed chase that began earlier in the day in Newton County were arrested.

Authorities said the men were considered and dangerous since the driver of a 2014 Mercedes Benz had his car stolen from him at gunpoint.

The hijacking led to a high-speed chase after deputies spotted the car. The chase went through a portion of Newton County and then into Jasper County before it reached Putnam County on Ga. Route 16.

A dispatcher with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office 911 Center received a radio call from a dispatcher with the Jasper County Sheriff's Office shortly after 6 a.m. that the chase was about to come into Putnam County, according to Putnam County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Col. Russell Blenk.

The chief deputy said they had planned to use Stop Sticks down the road but the chase never got that far.

"By the time we got there, the two suspects had already bush-bonded from the stolen car," Blenk said.

He said as the car was moving slowly, the suspects jumped out and fled from deputies' sight.

Deputies with the Newton County Sheriff's Office later left the scene, as did deputies with the Jasper County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies from Jasper County returned to assist Putnam County authorities in the search for the wanted suspects with troopers and K-9 teams from three law enforcement agencies.

A game warden with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division also assisted.

Others involved in the manhunt from the Putnam County Sheriff's Office included Detective Lt. Harry Luke, and Deputy Sgt. Jim Barbee.

The suspects last were seen running toward a river near Gregory Bridge.

The search began between Monticello Highway and Glenwood Springs.

Blenk said since the search unfolded during a shift change, several deputies with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office converged on the area.

Deputy Chris Donovan and his K-9 partner, Nix, a specially-trained tracking dog, tracked the suspects for about about four hours without success.

A second K-9 team later came to the scene to assist. It involved Georgia State Patrol Trooper Alan Rhodes and his K-9, Duco, who helped relieve Donovan's K-9. Cpl. Dillion Rutledge also came to the scene with his K-9 partner.

"We were able to put enough pressure on the suspects and they cornered themselves under a house later," Rhodes said.

Rhodes said the manhunt was a team effort.

"Even the suspects complimented all of us on how hard we worked to find them," Rhodes said.

The search involved a ground search as well as an aviation search by a helicopter from the state patrol and a drone piloted by a deputy with the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office.

The manhunt also involved officers with the Eatonton Police Department, including Chief Howell Cardwell, as well as game wardens with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division.

Blenk said authorities got the biggest break in their search for the suspects when a woman on Loblolly Drive called authorities to say the suspects were underneath her mobile home.

Authorities then established a perimeter in the area and then discussed other options, Blenk said.

The mobile home was surrounded by law enforcement officers, but the suspects refused to surrender.

Blenk said he and Cardwell later talked about options before they decided to crawl underneath the mobile home to get the suspects.

"We weren't asking for volunteers at the time," Blenk said. "Howell and I were just doing what we needed to do at the time."

Both suspects were arrested without incident and a handgun and extended magazine were recovered, Blenk said.

"It all worked out well," Blenk said. "We got these two guys and nobody got hurt."

The handgun had been reported missing from Cobb County some time ago, authorities said.

The suspects were later identified as Jason Tyrone Howell, 19, of Conyers and Jareese Dashod Driskell, 19, of Covington.

Even though both men were arrested, authorities were still trying to figure out what charges to file against them as of Monday.