JEFFERSON - Three Georgia residents, including a Gainesville woman, are jailed in connection with the reported abduction of two young children in Asheville, N.C., early Sunday.
Sgt. Brian Roberts of Georgia State Patrol Post 52 in Hartwell provided details Sunday afternoon.
Roberts said Georgia authorities were notified by Asheville Police Department that a person of interest, identified as Chadwick Agan, was entering the state on Interstate 85 Sunday morning. The initial vehicle description provided was a silver Nissan Versa.
By the time Asheville investigators updated the suspect vehicle to a maroon Ford Expedition, it had passed troopers and sheriff's deputies from the state line through Franklin and Banks counties.
Roberts said Commerce Police Department officers spotted the Ford SUV and waited for an amassing of officers before stopping it near mile marker 137. Roberts said he was allowed to be the primary unit on the felony stop, and that three adult occupants of the vehicle were taken into custody.
Agan allegedly abducted two children, ages 1 and 3, who were not his.
The children, are identified in an Amber Alert as Harlee Allan Joyner, age 3, with short brown hair and blue eyes weighing 40 pounds; and Elijah Ryan Joyner, age 1, with brown hair and blue eyes weighing 20 pounds. Elijah was last seen wearing a white onesie and jeans.
The children were not in the vehicle stopped in Jackson County and are believed to be in the silver Nissan Versa. At last report, the boys still are considered missing and believed to be in the Asheville area.
"They have yet to find them," Roberts said about 2:45 p.m.
Agan, 43, of Loganville, is said the be the ex-boyfriend of the children's mother, according to Roberts. He faces warrants out of Asheville for child abduction.
Also arrested were Natasha Cantrell of Gainesville and Christopher Carter of Swainsboro. Cantrell and Carter each face warrants out of Asheville for second-degree kidnapping, and aiding and abetting in a child abduction.
Roberts was quick to credit Commerce Police Department for spotting and observing the vehicle, then assisting with the traffic stop. He also praised units from Jackson County Sheriff's Office for helping saturate the traffic stop to ensure a safe outcome.
The vehicle was secured for later collection of possible evidence.
The three suspects were taken to the Jackson County Detention Center, where they are being held for extradition to Asheville, N.C., Roberts said.
"They're facing some pretty serious charges," Roberts said, noting the investigation is continuing.
