Georgia Fugitive Nabbed After Man Hunt
By David Howell
Editor
COFFEEVILLE – A 26 year-old Georgia fugitive was captured east of Coffeeville just after midnight Sunday morning following an intense 14-hour manhunt that included the largest presence of law enforcement officers assembled in the county in at least a decade.
Sheriff Lance Humphreys reported Roy Dwayne Ruis was captured on County Road 87 and will face numerous felony charges in Yalobusha County including three counts of felony taking of a motor vehicle, burglary of a residence and petty larceny. The search area Saturday spanned an estimated eight miles on County Roads 82, 222, 212 and 87.
Humphreys also said Ruis has an extensive criminal history and had eluded authorities in similar manhunts in Georgia and Florida during the last several weeks. The sheriff said Ruis had been in the county almost a week, apparently hiding at a sister’s house near Coffeeville. The sister, Amanda Ruis, also faces criminal charges and both siblings are now incarcerated in the Yalobusha County Jail. She has been charged with accessory after the fact for alleged involvement in the incident.
Humphreys told the Herald that Roy Ruis crime spree started on April 22 when he was briefly apprehended following a traffic stop by a Georgia trooper. Ruis fled from the trooper on foot and was apprehended several hours later by a K-9 unit. Ruis was placed in the back of a patrol car, but was able to slip his hand cuffs and steal the police car. He also took a gun from the cruiser.
“We knew Ruis could be armed, and also knew he was dangerous, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force had tracked him across two states, he has 19 criminal warrants on him from the stolen police car incident, the Georgia State Parole Board has a warrant for his arrest and he is wanted on an arson charge,” Humphreys told the Herald.
The sheriff cited strong cooperation from multiple law enforcement agencies, starting with the early investigation Saturday morning that identified Ruis as a suspect in a vehicle theft in the county, and during the ensuing manhunt that led to his capture. The sheriff also credited numerous tips from citizens as word spread about the search.
“We stayed about 15 minutes behind him from noon Saturday until midnight Saturday, but as more and more law enforcement officials joined the search, we kept the pressure on him and he had to keep moving,” Humphreys explained about the manhunt. “That is ultimately what led to his capture, we kept getting calls.” The sheriff said that one tip came from a homeowner after he opened fire on Ruis as he fled his house on County Road 212.“
It sounded like World War III, for a few minutes we didn’t know who was shooting at who,” Humphreys said. Ruis was finally captured shortly afterwards (see timeline below).
By the end of the night Saturday, more than two dozen officers had assisted in the search from agencies including the Coffeeville Police Department, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, Panola County Sheriff’s Department, U.S. Marshals Service, Oxford Police Department, MDOC K-9 team, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Mississippi Highway Patrol (MHP). The search party also included four police dogs and a MHP helicopter.
“I want to thank all of the officers and agencies involved, we had so much support and it is appreciated. I also want to thank my two deputies and the Coffeeville officer who worked on this case so diligently Saturday morning. Their work led to the initial identification of Ruis and ultimately helped put a dangerous criminal behind bars, where he belongs,” Humphreys said.
Timeline of
Ruis’ activities:
• Friday night, 8:51 p.m. – Deputy takes a report of a stolen Dodge dually at Gum’s Crossing.
• Saturday morning, 7 a.m. – Deputy takes a report of an abandoned Chevrolet Camaro wrecked on County Road 82. The vehicle and the license tag both come back stolen. Evidence recovered in the car later links it to the stolen Dodge.
• Mid-morning, Saturday – Deputies contact Coffee-ville Police Department and learn a vehicle matching the description of the stolen Camaro had been spotted at the Dollar General in Coffeeville on Friday.
• Late morning Saturday – Authorities review surveillance footage from Dollar General and identify Amanda Ruis. They pick her up and learned that Roy Dwayne Ruis is the suspect in the stolen vehicles.
• Around noon Saturday- Ruis’ name is run in the NCIC and authorities learn of of his extensive criminal history and the ongoing search for the fugitive.
• Noon Saturday – Dis-patcher receives call from resident near Elam Church about a suspicious person. Deputies respond, request additional help including two K-9 units from Panola County Sheriff’s Depart-ment.
• Saturday, around 1:30 p.m. – Dogs get in the woods, start to track suspect. Shortly afterwards, dispatcher receives another call with a description of the suspect. After the dogs track the suspect the trail goes cold.
• Mid-afternoon – Deputy becomes suspicious about a dog barking on County Road 222, alerts other officers. Shirt is found nearby that matches the description of what Ruis was wearing.
While searching the area, authorities find stolen Ford Ranger hidden in the woods but the trail goes cold again.
• Saturday, around 4 p.m. – Coffeeville officer watching the road receives tip from passing motorist about the suspect and search resumes on County Road 222. Officers from additional agencies continue to arrive to assist.
• Saturday night after dark – Homeowner on County Road 212 finds Ruis inside a residence. Ruis flees out back door and was briefly held at gun point until he learns it wasn’t a law enforcement officer pointing the gun at him. Ruis yells “F _ _ _ You,” and runs off. Homeowner shoots at Ruis multiple times as he flees. Helicopter from MHP and K-9 team from Parchman arrive. K-9 units continue to track Ruis.
• 11:55 p.m. Saturday – Dispatcher receives call from County Road 87 reporting Ruis is in the yard and has stolen clothes and food from a house. Authorities converge on area and two officers hear Ruis crawling down a ditch trying to escape the cordon of officers. He is taken into custody without incident after midnight.
• 2:30 a.m. Sunday – Recovered the stolen Dodge dually on County Road 22, near the County Road 82 intersection. Vehicle is recovered after initial interrogation with suspect and was only about 200 yards from previously discovered Ford Ranger on what the sheriff described as a four-wheeler trail.
• 10 a.m. Sunday – Webster County sheriff’s department comes to the county to interview Ruis.
• 3 p.m. Monday – Deputies recover a stolen motorcycle on County Road 82 that was reported stolen earlier Monday. Ruis admits to the theft and reveals the location of the stolen bike.
• Monday afternoon – A criminal history report is printed on Roy Ruis and spans 26 pages. His charges date back to 2006 and include drugs charges, auto thefts and operating chop shops, obstructing justice and numerous misdemeanors.
• Mid-morning, Tuesday – Justice Court Judge Janet Caulder sets a $250,000 bond on Roy Ruis and a $75,000 bond on Amanda Ruis during an initial appearance. Roy Ruis also has a hold on him from the Georgia Department of Corrections and a second hold from Gwinnet County, Ga.
