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Carjacking Suspect Who Crashed Into Ft. Meade Gate Hid In Storm Drain Overnight

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. (WJZ)--The lockdown is over at Fort Meade and the base is returning to normal after authorities capture the suspect who rammed his stolen car through a gate on Wednesday night.

WJZ's Derek Valcourt has more on the incident.

The manhunt for the suspect who caused panic and triggered a lock down in and around Ft. Meade ended Thursday morning when he was spotted emerging from a storm drain where police believe he had been hiding all night.

"He probably just thought enough time had gone by and he popped his head out and again literally it was a minute or two and he was picked up right away," said Col. Brian Foley.

It all began just before 9:00 p.m. Wednesday night near Hanover in Anne Arundel County where patrol officers first spotted a car which had been reported stolen in a carjacking days earlier in Baltimore.

"Officers noticed that vehicle and attempted to stop that vehicle and of course when they tried to stop it, it wouldn't stop and ultimately led our officers on a pursuit," said Lt. Ryan Frashure, Anne Arundel County Police Department.

During the chase the suspect drove right through the guarded Rochenbach Road gates of Ft. Meade and kept driving through the base until he crashed into another into another fence line.

Then he got out and ran, where he hid through the night.

All night long police couldn't find him.

"The safety and security of all of our service members in the local area was our number one priority overnight.  We made the assumption that the individual may be armed and dangerous," Col. Foley said.

That triggered a lock down on base, security sweeps of some of the buildings and forced 6 nearby schools to close a precaution.

But the based returned to normal after the suspect, identified as 41-year-old Dontae Small, of Hagerstown, Maryland, was taken into custody.

Dontae Small
Dontae Small

WJZ has learned the suspect has been taken to Baltimore to face charges related to the robbery and theft of that car.  The base commander at Ft. Meade says they're evaluating whether the suspect will face federal charges for his actions.

The six Anne Arundel County schools that were closed Thursday are expected reopen tomorrow.

 

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