A Flock camera alert was once again the catalyst for the recovery of a stolen vehicle and the arrest and ultimate conviction of the offender.
Edward Kyle Marcola, 51, was indicted by a Jones County Grand Jury April 16 for charges that included the theft of the vehicle that occurred Dec. 21, 2023. He was in Jones County Superior Court Aug. 22 to enter a guilty plea to the charges of theft by receiving stolen property, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, obstruction of an officer and criminal damage to property.
Marcola was sentenced to a total of five years with the first 120 days to be served in the Jones County jail. The remainder of the sentence is to be served on probation, and he will receive credit for time served from April 11.
The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,200.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Cara Fiore, and Marcola was represented by defense attorney James Gardner.
Superior Court Judge Alison Burleson accepted the plea.
A report of the incident leading to Marcola’s arrest by Jones County Deputy Nolan Sullivan stated that he received an alert from a Flock camera at about 10:45 p.m. Dec. 21 about a stolen vehicle on Joycliff Road. He said he was able to catch up to the vehicle, a red Ford F-250, turning north on Gray Highway.
Sullivan said he got behind the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. The vehicle turned into a church parking lot, accelerated and wrecked into an embankment. The deputy said the driver jumped out of the vehicle and fled on foot.
The officer pursued but lost sight of the suspect. Sullivan said he called for a K9 unit, but it was 15 minutes out. When other units arrived, a perimeter was formed. The K9 unit attempted to track the suspect when it arrived but had no contact.
A ‘be on the lookout’ report was broadcast with the suspect’s description.
Sullivan said, at approximately 20 minutes after midnight, he received a message from Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Todd Haskins with information about the suspect. The deputy said Haskins told him that he saw a car pick up a man fitting the suspect’s description on Gray Highway.
The lieutenant said the man ran from the wood line and got into a white Honda pulled off the side of the road. Haskins gave Sullivan the tag number of the car.
Sullivan said he and JCSO Sgt. Travis Walker went to the home of the owner of the Honda and spoke to the person who picked up man who ran from the woods. The driver said they only picked up a friend and had no idea what had happened before he got in the car.
The driver gave the officers the passenger’s name, and the address he was taken. Sullivan said warrants were secured for Marcola’s arrest.
