Douglasville man arrested on I-20 with stolen gun, drugs and missing child
Kyzeri Saconni Hardy. Courtesy of Haralson County Sheriff's Office
HARALSON COUNTY, Ga. - A Douglasville man was arrested last week after a high-speed chase on Interstate 20 led authorities to uncover a stolen firearm, drugs, and a missing child in his vehicle, according to the Haralson County Sheriff’s Office.
What we know:
On April 22, around 3 p.m., members of the Joint Crime Suppression Operational Task Force — a collaborative unit between the Douglas and Haralson County sheriff’s offices — were conducting patrols along I-20 when they spotted a maroon sedan traveling at 92 mph in a 70 mph zone. The vehicle reportedly reached speeds of 101 mph while cutting off other drivers and following vehicles too closely.
Deputy Chad Sheriff and Cpl. Jarrett Chandler initiated a traffic stop and identified the driver as 23-year-old Kyzeri Saconni Hardy of Douglasville. Deputies said they smelled marijuana when Hardy stepped out of the vehicle. Although Hardy refused consent to search the car, K-9 Sita alerted on both sides of the sedan during a free air sniff.
A search revealed a stolen firearm reported by Atlanta Police, about 6.9 ounces of suspected marijuana, and two stolen driver’s licenses linked to recent vehicle break-ins in Douglas County. Authorities also discovered a 12-year-old passenger who had been reported as a runaway and was in the custody of the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) out of Atlanta.
Fulton County DFCS was notified, and the juvenile was later transferred to Haralson County DFCS for coordination.
Hardy was arrested and charged with multiple felonies, including:
- Theft by receiving stolen property (firearm)
- Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
- Possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony
- Possession of marijuana
- Identity theft
What they're saying:
Sheriff Stacy Williams praised the partnership between the Douglas and Haralson County sheriff’s offices, which formed the task force to target drug, gun, and human trafficking along the I-20 corridor.
What we don't know:
The sheriff's office did not reveal any information about the 12-year-old found in the car. The relationship between the young teen and Hardy is unknown.