Fugitive on the run for 30 years captured after minor bicycle infraction
George Hartleroad (Credit: Polk County)
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa - A fugitive, who had been on the run for nearly 30 years, was caught after being stopped for a minor infraction involving his bicycle.
The West Des Moines Police in Iowa said in late June, an officer pulled over a man who was riding his bicycle without the required rear reflector.
The man identified himself as George Stallins, but when the officer tried to run a quick background check, nothing came up.
The bicyclist told the officer that he had been previously hit by a vehicle and had trouble remembering details.
The officer later followed up with another background check, and it showed that George Stallins was a man who died in 2000.
When officers made contact with the bicyclist again, he then identified himself as George Hartleroad.
The officer then ran another background check which showed Hartleroad had a warrant for his arrest in Wisconsin. Hartleroad was wanted for possessing a shotgun/rifle, recklessly endangered safety and false imprisonment.
According to KCCI, Hartleroad was a convicted rapist who escaped from a halfway house in 1995 based on state documents.
This story was reported from Los Angeles.