Wednesday, June 19, 2024–10:57 a.m.
-WBHF Radio-
Bartow County deputies arrested 38-year-old Adrian Jamar Daniels of Rome in front of Burger King on Dixie Avenue and East Church Street in Cartersville on Saturday after a wild chain of events.
A deputy started following a white U-Haul GMC Savannah full-size van that had left from behind Academy Sports off South Morningside Drive and East Main Street in Cartersville at 3:41 a.m. While trying to avoid the deputy, the van went through the Pet Mart parking lot between East Main Street and East Church Street, ran the red light on East Church Street at Joe Frank Harris Parkway, and got cornered in the Tilley, Deems, and Trotter parking lot on Church Street across from the Cartersville High School main entrance.
The van reportedly recklessly drove over the curb and almost struck Capri Restaurant. Then, it rolled into the Ameris Bank parking lot and struck and uprooted a tree before stopping. The deputy located Daniels running in the opposite direction and saw him go from the Synovus parking lot into Burger King, where he finally complied and lay down in front of the entry door.
A lieutenant with Cartersville Police opened the van’s cargo door and reportedly found boxes containing fireworks. Cartersville Police discovered that someone had broken the lock off a shipping container behind Great Grizzly Fireworks in the Academy Sports shopping center. The manager confirmed that those boxes of fireworks belonged to his business.
Daniels reportedly had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage from his breath and said that he and two others who were in the van with him were lookouts as four others in a blue Chevrolet Malibu and a Hyundai Accent were stealing the fireworks.
Law enforcement could not find evidence that two other cars were involved or that others were in the van.
Adrian Daniels received nine charges, including burglary, theft by taking, theft by receiving stolen property and attempting to elude a police officer.
Daniels had Floyd County warrants for theft by taking, theft by receiving stolen property, fleeing a police officer, and several traffic offenses. He had Cedartown warrants for theft by taking and criminal trespass. Daniels also had a violation of probation warrant from Gordon County.