Escaped inmate facing kidnapping charges after stealing parent’s car with mother inside, police say

DOUGHERTY COUNTY, Ga. — We’re learning more about a Georgia escaped inmate who has been on the run since Saturday.

Carlton Gillis, 37, escaped from a detention officer on Saturday while in custody at Phoebe Putney Hospital in Albany.

According to an incident report obtained by WALB-TV, it said Gillis jumped a fence in a construction site near the hospital and hopped in a car being driven by his mother and stepfather.

The report said Gillis’ stepfather was driving the car, Gillis was in the back seat and his mother was also a passenger in the car.

An officer noticed the car and pulled them over. When the officer recognized Gillis, the report said the officer tried to take him into custody, but Gillis then forcefully took the wheel with his stepfather still in the front seat.

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His stepfather was able to get out of the car before Gillis sped off with it, WALB-TV reported.

That’s when police said they started chasing Gillis, with speeds going upwards of 80 mph. The report said Gillis drove into oncoming traffic before police were able to stop him.

Police said they eventually found Gillis’ mother in the car, who told them that she tried to get out of the car and that Gillis drove off with her still in the car against her will.

“In Georgia, anyone that assists someone to commit a crime can be charged with that same crime— as a party to the crime. So potentially anyone that aids him or abets him could also face the same penalties that he faces. We have multiple officers actively looking, searching for his whereabouts, and there is an investigation underway,” Dougherty County Jail Director John Ostrander told WALB. “We don’t reveal too many details of the investigation, but we are looking into friends, family, known contacts, known places where he has frequented in the past, previous addresses, all of those things. Both here and in Terrell County.”

Gillis was originally charged with burglary, criminal damage to property, interference with government property, obstruction of a law enforcement officer, disorderly conduct, and probation violation.

He is now facing additional charges of kidnapping, robbery by force, fleeing and attempting to elude, and reckless driving, WALB reported.

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