Hunt for Fugitive Expands To South Metro Atlanta

The hunt for a fugitive who escaped police capture Tuesday afternoon in Woodstock has now been expanded into a south metro Atlanta county.

Agents with the U.S. Marshals Service are now combing Lamar County in their hunt for 36-year-old Billy Lee Owens. 

Gavin Duffy, supervisory inspector with the U.S. Marshals Service's Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, said an officer with a law enforcement agency in Lamar County attempted to pull over a vehicle reported stolen out of Cherokee County in which a man matching Owens' description was driving. 

Duffy said the officer attempted to pull over the vehicle, but the man fled on foot from the scene. 

Lamar County is about 60 miles south of Atlanta and sits along Interstate 75. 

Agents just after 3 p.m. June 17 were attempting to serve arrest warrants at a home off Arnold Mill Road in unincorporated Woodstock when Owens fled the home in a vehicle.  

"Owens has an extensive criminal history with several convictions for violent crimes and narcotics," Duffy said late Tuesday evening in a press release.

Owen is wanted on variety of "violent crimes" throughout the metro Atlanta area, including burglary and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Duffy added. 

The suspect has active arrest warrants from Fayette, Meriwether and Pike counties, as well as new charges in Cherokee County stemming from his alleged use of a stolen van to escape lawful arrest in Woodstock, Gavin added.

Duffy on Tuesday said agents were able to locate the vehicle the suspect got away in, but Owens remains at large. No one was seriously hurt in the incident, but Duffy added other suspects who were with Owen at the time of incident were arrested. 

Duffy said he did not have those suspects' information, including how many were with Owens or what charges they were wanted on.

Owens is a white man who stands 6'1 feet tall, weighs around 220 pounds and has tattoos on arms, his right hand, chest and back. According to State Board of Pardons and Parole records, he gained parole on Feb. 24 after serving time on a kidnapping charge. 

Records also show him living at an address on S.R. 85 in the small Coweta County town of Senoia. 

Crime Stoppers of Greater Atlanta is offering up to $4,000 for any information that leads to the arrest of Owens. Tips can be sent to 404-577-TIPS (8477).