Video shows fugitive wanted since 1994 being stopped for minor bicycle violation
Newly released body camera footage shows the moment police stopped a man for a minor bicycle infraction in Iowa before learning he was a convicted rapist wanted for more than 30 years in Wisconsin.
West Des Moines police stopped George Hartleroad, 71, for not having a reflector on his bicycle on June 26, according to multiple media reports.
In the footage obtained by USA TODAY, Hartleroad is heard giving the officers a false name and social security number. He also claimed to have lived in Iowa for two decades as police continued to question him.
“Alright brother, time to be honest with me, OK?” an officer is heard questioning Hartleroad in the video. “So the info you give me comes back to a dead guy. So who are you?”
George Hartleroad wanted by Wisconsin authorities since 1994
Eventually, Hartleroad revealed his real identity to the officers. When they ran Hartleroad’s name, the officers discovered that he had been wanted by authorities in Wisconsin since 1994.
Hartleroad is a convicted rapist in a 1983 case, KCCI-TV reported, citing Wisconsin state records. USA TODAY was working to confirm the conviction on Thursday.
Police arrested Hartleroad, who was unhoused KCCI-TV reported, citing court records.
Pictured is George Hartleroad being stopped by West Des Moines police officers on June 26, 2024.
The Wisconsin Department of Corrections told the TV station that Hartleroad served five years in prison before later escaping a halfway house. He has been wanted ever since.
Hartleroad is currently at the Dane County Jail in Madison, Wisconsin, according to inmate records. His only listed charge is “parole violation,” the jail’s inmate database shows.
West Des Moines police told USA TODAY that the agency was “unable to comment on a warrant status from other agencies.” Other than confirming that Hartleroad was in the Dane County jail, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said: “I don’t have any further information on his status or what led up to him being booked in our jail.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Video shows Wisconsin fugitive stopped for bike infraction in Iowa
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