NEW DETAILS: Escapee charged with kidnapping mother, stepfather

DOUGHERTY COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) - An escapee from Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office custody is wanted for kidnapping and reckless driving after allegedly leading police on a high-speed chase with his mother in the vehicle.

According to the Albany Police Department (APD) incident report, Carlton Gillis, 37, reportedly escaped a detention officer while in custody at Phoebe Putney Hospital just before 11:00 a.m. on Saturday.

After escaping, Gillis reportedly jumped a fence in a construction area near Phoebe and joined his mother and stepfather in a green Pontiac and were seen traveling North of Jefferson Street. An officer noticed the vehicle and followed them onto the Liberty Expressway, where he stopped the vehicle.

According to the report, the stepfather was driving and Gillis was in the back seat. The officer noticed Gillis was the wanted escapee and gave Gillis a command and he refused.

The report indicates Gillis forcefully took over the vehicle while the stepfather was still in the driver’s seat using his hands, legs, and body. The driver was able to get out as Gillis continued to drive east on Liberty Expressway.

Officials followed the vehicle as it traveled south on Blaylock Street driving into oncoming traffic on the opposite side of the road at speeds up to 80 mph. That’s when police say they stopped their pursuit.

The passenger of the vehicle, later identified as Gillis’ mother, was later found in the vehicle on Nona Drive and East Campbell Street.

She told officers she advised Gillis to stop and she attempted to get out of the vehicle but Gillis continued to drive. She also told officials that he drove off with her inside the vehicle against her will.

According to Dougherty County Jail Director John Ostrander, “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.” Butted “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.”

After statements from the mother and stepfather, warrants for kidnapping, robbery by force, fleeing and attempting to elude, and reckless driving were taken for Gillis, officials said.

Law enforcement agencies are actively searching for him.

Stay with WALB for updates.