HABERSHAM COUNTY, Ga. — A man is now in custody after an hours-long hunt early Thursday morning in Habersham County, the sheriff's office said.
It happened around 4 a.m. when Baldwin County law enforcement officials alerted other departments in surrounding areas that someone was driving a stolen vehicle.
A Habersham County deputy then performed a traffic stop on GA 365 at Demorest-Mt. Airy Highway on the car in Cornelia. The driver then got out of the car and ran away, prompting a manhunt for four hours, according to authorities.
Law enforcement then created a search perimeter when they got a report of an individual who spotted the suspect near a Hampton Inn. He was then arrested shortly after he was spotted.
According to deputies, the man refused to give his name to arresting officers.
The Habersham County Sheriff's Office said Demorest Elementary School and Wilbanks Middle School were not in session following the traffic stop. Authorities added that the suspect was not in the area at the time students arrived. They sent a social media post to alert the public on the ongoing manhunt.
A new release from the department said there was "no information to indicate the individual who fled was armed or posed a danger to the public."
Deputies plan to charge the man with theft by receiving a stolen vehicle and obstruction for running and concealing a tag once they can fully identify him.