SENOIA, Ga. — A small-town police department says tech sleuthing and cooperation helped them find the suspect accused of stalking and trying to sexually assault a woman out exercising.
Officers had their work cut out for them tracking down the suspect, because many of the cameras near the scene of the attack were not working.
“When I got the call Sunday night. I was like, no way, not in Senoia, right?” said Capt. Jason Ercole with Senoia Police.
The woman was attacked just blocks from the historic downtown.
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Detectives said they first spotted a suspicious man near a farmers market.
“It just seemed odd to be that late at night, since it’s not open,” Capt. Ercole said.
A detective recognized the clothing as restaurant attire, leading them to newly hired dishwasher Isaiah Jamal Phillips.
Additional cameras became available Tuesday morning, allegedly showing Phillips stalking the victim, driving behind her with his lights off.
“It looked like we were watching a horror movie. I mean, it was very eerie,” Capt. Ercole said.
Police say within five minutes of the attack, Phillips was captured on video driving down a road a half-block from the incident.
Police found Phillips had previous sexual battery cases in Roswell and Peachtree City, as well as a warrant in Morrow.
They contacted the U.S. Marshals Office, who used cameras to track the suspect.
“In two hours, he had more background and information than I ever thought was possible,” Capt. Ercole said.
On Wednesday, a team including police, sheriff’s deputies, the U.S. Marshals and Secret Service arrived at the Fayette County home and took Isaiah Jamal Phillips into custody less than 72 hours after an alleged assault.
“There were a lot of high fives going around when the handcuffs were put on him,” Capt. Ercole said.
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