A man stole a vehicle and took off with a child still inside Wednesday afternoon before being detained in Fayetteville, police said.
Ervin Wallace, 52, was known to the victim, a woman he is accused of assaulting and carjacking around 3:15 p.m. outside a barbecue restaurant on Glynn Street near Forrest Drive, according to authorities. The woman reported the attack to police, who then learned that the suspect had left the area with the child inside the vehicle.
The vehicle was located a few minutes later down the street, and a traffic stop was attempted. Wallace fled, but a Fayetteville officer used an immobilization technique to end the pursuit before it reached high speeds, police stated.
The driver then continued into the parking lot where the attack had occurred, and two officers had to run to avoid being struck by the stolen vehicle, the police department said. The vehicle was boxed in soon after entering the parking lot, ending the pursuit.
The child was rescued from the vehicle, and the woman was treated for minor injuries, police confirmed.
Wallace is being held in the Fayette County Jail on charges of aggravated assault, battery, motor vehicle hijacking, theft by taking, fleeing, interfering with a 911 call, tampering with evidence and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime, jail records show.
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