Standoff Over, S.C. Man Holding Hostages Surrenders

Staff, Associated Press, and Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published: January 5, 2009

A standoff is over at a Georgia motel where a former police officer had been holding an infant and two other people hostage.

An FBI spokesman said 25-year-old David Dietz surrendered at about 9:15 a.m. Monday after the overnight standoff about 60 miles east of Atlanta.

An officer wearing body armor came out of the motel and put the infant into an ambulance. Dietz was taken away moments later. Authorities say Dietz kidnapped the infant and two women on
Saturday night in South Carolina.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division reports that 29-year-old Eva Arce-Perez and 7-month old Allim David Dietz are safe with Georgia law enforcement and that 25-year-old David Dietz was taken into federal custody.

Law enforcement says 17-year-old Jamie Lynn Burgess was with Dietz at the time of the alleged abductions.  Investigators are trying to determine her connection to this case.
Negotiators were “making progress” Monday morning in the hostage standoff involving the former Midlands police officer who allegedly abducted his infant son and two women from West Columbia.

An FBI spokesman told the AJC before the end that there had been no injuries as far as authorities knew in the standoff Monday at a Red Roof Inn in Madison, Georgia.

South Carolina authorities issued an AMBER Alert for the seven-month old boy early Sunday morning, but canceled it later in the day. A Levi’s Call, which is Georgia’s AMBER Alert system, was issued when police learned the alleged abductor was headed toward Atlanta.

Dietz refused to negotiate with police over the phone and had traded notes with authorities via a Georgia State Patrol robot. A night manager at the Red Roof Inn hotel said police had
escorted other guests away to another motel.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the FBI, GBI, Georgia State Patrol and Morgan County Sheriff’s Department were involved in the standoff.

Authorities say 25-year-old David Dietz kidnapped the infant and two women Saturday night in West Columbia. Shots were fired during the kidnapping. Authorities say Dietz was wearing a black uniform
with “police” written on the back and on his sleeves.

Scene of standoff in Madison, GA

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West Columbia police said the woman and child were abducted by Perez’ estranged husband, David Dietz.