A rapist who had been on the run for 30 years was finally arrested in Iowa after being stopped by police for riding his bike without a rear reflector, body camera footage of the arrest showed.
George Hartroad, 71, was stopped by police in West Des Moines on June 26 and gave a false name and Social Security number. WCCI reported.
In the video, Hartroad, a bearded man, is seen telling officers his name is “Gregory Stallins,” that he is homeless and has lived in Iowa since 1991. He did not have a driver’s license.
Officers initially let him go, but then became suspicious of his vague responses and began questioning him again for several minutes, officer body camera footage showed.
“Okay, brother, tell me the truth. The information you’ve given me is about a dead man. Gregory Stallins is dead,” an officer can be heard questioning Hartroad on the video.
In the clip, we see that Hartlord is on the offensive again.
“Are you Gregory or are you just not dead?” asked the confused officer.
“I’m not dead,” Hartlord replies.
At one point, police asked him to remove his hat so they could take his photo for a facial recognition program.
Hartlord eventually confessed his true identity.
According to the sheriff’s office, the officer later learned the man he had stopped had been wanted by authorities in Wisconsin since escaping from a rehabilitation facility in 1994.
Wisconsin state records show he was convicted of rape in 1983 and served five years in prison.
Hartroad said he plans to run away again if given the next opportunity.
“When I’m released I’m going to jump again,” he told officers while in custody.
“They’ve tortured me for 41 years with a nine-year sentence,” he added.
He was taken across state lines and is currently in the custody of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
