One man is in custody following an overnight manhunt in Lula but, it’s not the man authorities were hoping to nab. GSP Sgt. 1st Class G.R. Harper says a man was taken into custody at a residence on Old Cornelia Highway. He says at first the man was believed to be fugitive Ryan Van Hovey “because he had a very similar description” but, he was arrested on “totally unrelated” charges.
Hovey remains at large.
The arrest came during an overnight search in Lula. It began Sunday after Harper says Hall County Deputies spotted a subject in a van that “appeared to be acting suspicious.” The van disappeared behind some houses and the subject fled on foot.
That sparked a more than four-hour long manhunt involving patrol units from the GSP, Hall and Banks County Sheriff’s Offices, K-9 units and a GSP chopper. The search centered on an area between Belton Bridge Road and Lula Elementary School on Main Street.
Harper says the search has been suspended but authorities are still aggressively pursuing Hovey. “We just definitely want to get Hovey. He’s a major concern of ours.”
Hovey is wanted on armed robbery and drug charges in Gwinnett County and felony warrants in Dekalb. Police have been searching for him in northeast Georgia since July 15th when he disappeared off Yonah Post Road near the Habersham/Hall County line following a high speed chase. The chase began when Hovey refused to stop for a State Trooper who was attempting to pull him over for failure to maintain lane. After his car got stuck in the mud he fled on foot. Authorities say they found ammunition, drugs and a bullet-proof vest in Hovey’s abandoned car.
Authorities are frustrated, but determined. “We’re still very aggressively looking for Hovey,” Harper says, although he adds that at this time, “we don’t know his whereabouts at all.”
The five-day search has heightened fears among residents in the Alto and Lula areas. Many locked themselves inside their homes and took to social media Sunday night sharing and seeking information about the manhunt.
Hovey is considered armed and dangerous. If you see him stay clear and call 911 immediately. If you have information on his whereabouts contact the Hall County Sheriff’s Office or Georgia State Patrol.
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