The Dalton Police Department wants the public's help identifying this suspect in the Feb. 8 theft of a pickup truck,
The Dalton Police Department wants the public's help identifying this suspect in the Feb. 8 theft of a pickup truck,The Dalton Police Department wants the public's help identifying a suspect in the theft of a pickup truck, according to a department news release.
The truck was stolen Feb. 8 from a Mohawk Industries facility at at 2100 South Hamilton St. and was recovered after being abandoned later in the day. The suspect in the case ran from a Whitfield County deputy, who later recovered surveillance video of the suspect from a nearby convenience store, according to the report.
The victim reported that he parked his truck, a 1999 white Ford 150 Lariat, in an employee parking lot and left it unlocked with the keys inside. When the victim returned to the parking lot shortly before 3 p.m. he discovered that it was missing.
A Dalton police officer that responded recovered surveillance video of a blue Nissan pickup truck pulling up next to the victim's truck in the parking lot that appeared to have two men inside. The truck was then taken. Earlier in the day, a similar blue Nissan pickup truck was reported stolen to the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office.
Shortly after 4 p.m., a property owner reported finding the victim's white F-150 abandoned on his property off of Bud Holland Road in Whitfield County. The property owner told a responding deputy that he saw fresh tire tracks and followed them approximately 25 yards into the woods and found the truck.
He also saw a white male walking away from the area. The deputy then located the suspect who fled on foot. The man wore an orange T-shirt and khaki work pants and a baseball cap. While a search of the area was unsuccessful, the deputy was able to recover surveillance pictures of the suspect from a convenience store nearby on Coogler Road. The truck was recovered with a flat tire.
Anyone with information on the identity of the suspect or the incident is asked to please contact Detective Aaron Simpson at 706-278-9085, dial 9 and enter extension 253.
The Dalton Police Department encourages all drivers to lock their vehicles and not to leave their keys inside of their vehicles.