A call to code enforcement about a “very disorderly residence” eventually led to a manhunt for a suspect in Baldwin in mid-October, according to authorities.
The Baldwin Police Department responded to the call at 5:45 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, after a code enforcement officer requested backup at a residence on Poplar Drive.
Upon arrival, officers made contact with a male tenant, Thomas Scott Hilland, 33, of Gainesville. Hilland initially came to the door when police arrived, according to the report, but never returned.
While speaking to a female at the residence, the report states officers “heard a noise” come from the back of the home. Officers went to the rear of the residence as they called for additional units to respond.
A canine was called to the scene as police set up a perimeter and searched for Hilland, who allegedly had felony warrants in Hall County.
Police say Hilland failed to heed calls for him to return to the scene, and after an extensive search, Hilland was located within a mile of the residence by Habersham County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Zane in a wooded area on Batson Drive.
Hilland sustained injuries from the canine before he was taken into custody and charged with obstruction of law enforcement officers – in addition to outstanding warrants.
