GREEN, Ohio — The Summit County Sheriff's Office reports that a 44-year-old man is in custody after allegedly carjacking a vehicle and kidnapping three children in the city of Green on Thursday.
Sheriff's deputies say the suspect, identified as Mark Carlson, carjacked a vehicle in Akron, but ran out of gas on Arlington Road in Green. Carlson allegedly then went to the BP station on Arlington Road and attempted to steal another vehicle, but was unsuccessful.
On Saturday morning, Carlson pleaded not guilty in Barberton Municipal Court, where a bond of $500,000 was set. Carlson was also ordered to have no contact with the victims.
Investigators say Carlson then ran to the Taco Bell next door on Arlington and carjacked a vehicle in the drive-thru line. After a struggle with the female driver of the car, Carlson fled with the driver's three children, ages 6, 5 and 2, inside.
"I saw the aftermath, the woman screaming hysterically that 'he has my child,'" said a man who works at VanDevere Auto Outlet, next door to the BP. "It's a wake up call, you're not safe anywhere, even getting gas."
Carlson eventually crashed the stolen car into a building, let two of the children out, then kept going with the two-year-old in the back seat. He stopped at the Circle K at Massillon Road, and removed the child. A gas station employee told 3News that the child was crying out "mommy, mommy," and was helped by a good Samaritan.
Officials say all three children were reconnected with their mother.
"They were reunited with their mother," said inspector Bill Holland with the sheriff's office. "Not too much time elapsed, but I'm sure to her it felt like hours, but it wasn't. I'm sure very, very scary for her."
Officials said Carlson then headed southbound on I-77. Carlson was pursued by sheriff's deputies, with the chase moving over to the northbound lanes of I-77 towards Akron.
Once in Akron, officials say Carlson got out of the vehicle near the area of Shelby Avenue and Evers Avenue. He fled on foot into a wooded area while being pursued by deputies and members of the Akron Police Department.
Watch body camera video of the arrest:
"The guy came speeding down real fast, the cops were after him," said a resident of the area who did not want to be identified but saw the suspect and police head into the woods. "When he jumped out [of] the car, he ran through the woods."
Carlson was finally arrested and taken into custody. A Summit County Sheriff's deputy was transported to an area hospital. There is no word yet on the deputy's condition.
"You don't even expect something like this to happen, but if it does happen, obviously you try to do the best you can to get away from the person, contact law enforcement as soon as possible, and let us sort it out," Holland said.
The incident came on the same day as a shooting and subsequent crash on Interstate 77 near State Route 241 (Massillon Road) in Green.
This is a developing story. Stay with 3News for more details as they become available.