FBPD: 9-month search for theft suspect ends

A nine-month search by Flowery Branch Police for a theft suspect has ended in his arrest.

Jose Ledesma Hernandez, 39, Dawsonville, was wanted in connection with a shoplifting incident Dec. 5, 2023, at a store on Spout Springs Road, according to Flowery Branch Asst. Police Chief Todd Templeton. “He took merchandise valued at over $500 and managed to escape the scene, evading store staff.”

Following the incident, investigators used the store’s surveillance footage to identify Mr. Hernandez, Templeton added, and as a result, he was charged with felony theft by shoplifting, and an arrest warrant was issued for him.

He was arrested recently in Forsyth County and the Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Warrant Service Unit picked him up at the county jail in Cumming and returned him to Hall County Monday.