A Gainesville teen faces several charges in connection to an incident that occurred July 19 in a parking lot at Free Chapel Worship Center on McEver Road.
HALL CO. SHERIFF’S OFFICE (HCSO) NARRATIVE:
“As he was leaving the back parking lot of the Hall County Sheriff’s Office Headquarters (HQ) building around 3 a.m., a patrol deputy overheard what he believed to be the screeching of tires from the main campus of Free Chapel, which is located a short distance from the HQ building. The deputy proceeded to the church to investigate and observed smoke in the air. He also observed a small truck in the parking lot attempting to leave, and he pulled in front of the vehicle with his blue lights on to prevent the truck from exiting.
At this time, both the passenger and the driver jumped from the vehicle, running on foot from the scene. The deputy was able to apprehend the passenger, but the driver escaped. A K9 team arrived at the scene to assist with locating the driver, but the track was unsuccessful. Because the driver failed to put his truck in park, the vehicle rolled into the front of the patrol car. No one was injured.
The passenger, identified as Angel Miguel Carrera, 19, of Gainesville, refused to give the identity of the driver to deputies. Mr. Carrera was arrested on misdemeanor charges of obstruction and open container violation.
During the course of the investigation, deputies were able to identify the driver as Jordan Tavone Mintz, 18. Warrants were taken for reckless stunt driving (laying drags in the parking lot), open container violation, obstruction and duty to make a report of an accident.
Mr. Mintz was arrested on the warrants on Wednesday, August 6. He posted a bond of $8,980 and was released from the Hall County Jail on Friday, August 8.”