A Georgia fugitive was captured in Alabama after deputies said he jumped into Weiss Lake while they were trying to arrest him.
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According to the Cherokee County Alabama Sheriff’s Office, deputies went to a campground in the Wildwood Cove area to serve a warrant for the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia.
Deputies located 33-year-old Eric Carl Virta, of Cartersville, Georgia, but investigators said he ran when they attempted to take him into custody.
The sheriff’s office said Virta jumped into the water, crossed to the other side and entered the Kirk’s Grove and Mud Creek area.
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Deputies began searching for Virta, with the search lasting more than an hour.
Authorities said deputies eventually found Virta hiding in a swampy area in Mud Creek and took him into custody without further incident. No injuries were reported.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Marine Patrol transported Virta and deputies back across the water by boat.
Virta had outstanding warrants from Floyd County, Georgia, for:
- Probation violation
- Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
- Possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime
- Terroristic threats and acts
The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said Virta was also charged in Alabama with fugitive from justice and attempting to elude.
“Yes, we had time to take a quick photo while waiting for a boat to pick up our deputies,” wrote the Alabama sheriff’s office in a social media post.
The sheriff’s office credited the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Leesburg Police Department and Cedar Bluff Police Department with assisting in the operation.
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