Four arrested from Chatham County chase after one steals WRAL News car to escape authorities

Caleb Sheffield, the last person being sought from the case, was taken into custody on Sunday morning.

A third man wanted in connection to a high-speed chase in Chatham County on Saturday is also in custody after stealing a WRAL News car and crashing into a State Highway Patrol car.

WRAL reporter Keenan Willard said that the man, Marcus Brown, came up to him and photographer Lucas Nelson after their 11 p.m. live shot and offered cash for a ride to the gas station.

When Willard and Nelson said they couldn't give him a ride, he jumped in the car and drove off on U.S. Highway 64.

A State Highway Patrol trooper saw the incident happen and took off after the man.

After about 5 minutes, Brown crashed head-on into a state trooper's car, and was taken into custody.

No one was injured in the crash. In the interest of the safety of our news crews, WRAL is not disclosing any further details about the theft of the car.

The search started earlier on Saturday after a trooper engaged in a chase with another vehicle on Highway 64 during Saturday morning. The chase ended on the highway about seven miles west of Pittsboro just before 8:30 a.m.

Authorities said four people ran off and left the vehicle.

Adrian Lowery, 24, of Jacksonville, Florida, and a minor were taken into custody on Saturday afternoon. Lowery was charged with possession of a stolen weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon. Lowery and the minor remained at the Chatham County Detention Facility.

Brown, 19, was charged with fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle, possession of a weapon of mass destruction and larceny of motor vehicle.

Sheffield, 19, was arrested Sunday morning. Sheffield was charged with possession of a weapon of mass destruction, possession of a stolen firearm and resist, obstruct and delay.

All three men arrested are from Jacksonville, Fla.

A trooper clocked the driver of the vehicle driving 94 miles per hour in a 65 MPH zone, prompting a traffic stop. The driver did not pull over and eventually spun out in the median of the highway.

Numerous officers were on the scene of the highway near Hillside Dairy Road on Saturday afternoon. The vehicle involved appeared to be a black Hyundai sedan with Florida tags. The focus of the search was around a wooded area next to the highway.

Troopers said that multiple guns were found during the investigation, and with the help of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms will be processed.

A reverse 911 message was distributed to local residents, asking them to lock their doors and stay inside while local law enforcement agencies search for the men. Authorities were also using a helicopter to search the area.

David Smith, who lives in the area, said he had “seen more cops out here than ever before.”

Smith said he immediately called his wife while she was out getting breakfast, telling her to come back home, after getting the call from 911.

"We were hoping to get some things done outside and let [the kids] play outside, and that hasn't happened today," said Smith.

On Saturday night, Marty and Angela Rosenburg said the manhunt came as a shock to people living in their quiet stretch of farm country.

"We expect a cow might get loose, but that's it" said Marty Rosenburg.

Now, the Rosenburgs are planning on locking their doors and leaving guard dogs out overnight.

The couple said their biggest concern is not knowing how close to home the search could really be.

"We have outbuildings. All these farms have outbuildings. You kind of start to wonder, is somebody in your outbuilding waiting for dark? So, It's unnerving," said Angela Rosenburg.

NCSHP is investigating, along with members of the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, Wildlife Resources Commission, and Carrboro Police Department.