A Gainesville driver faces charges of stalking after he allegedly chased a 16-year-old driver from a parking deck to the interstate and caused damage to the victim’s vehicle.
The Hall County Sheriff’s Office reported that deputies responded to the southbound lanes of I-985 on Aug. 11 at 7:30 p.m. after noticing the juvenile victim’s SUV with its flashing lights activated and followed it.
An initial investigation revealed the victim was parked in a Downtown Gainesville parking deck earlier that night. When the victim returned to his SUV to leave the deck, the suspect, Ryan Guerra-Banda, 19, began following him in his pickup truck. The victim and Guerra-Banda were involved in an ongoing dispute, according to HCSO.
Guerra-Banda reportedly pursued the victim onto I-985 southbound. He also allegedly threw items at the victim's SUV during the chase, causing damage of under $500 to the vehicle. The suspect is also believed to have driven at a high rate of speed, weaved in and out of traffic and passed another vehicle on the shoulder.
When deputies saw the victim’s SUV flashing its lights, they stopped the vehicle near Exit 8 ,Ga. 347/Friendship Road and spoke to the teen. Guerra-Banda's truck was not there at the time deputies stopped the victim.
In addition to the misdemeanor stalking charge, deputies obtained arrest warrants for Guerra-Banda on the following charges:
- Criminal trespass (misdemeanor)
- Reckless driving (misdemeanor)
- Passing on shoulder of road (misdemeanor)
- Crossing the gore (misdemeanor)
Oakwood Police arrested Guerra-Banda on Monday, Aug. 18 on the warrants. He was booked into the Hall County Jail, but released on a $2,210 bond early Wednesday morning, Aug. 20.
