A 71-year-old convicted rapist who has been on the run for 30 years has been arrested after being stopped by traffic police in Iowa for violating a simple rule.
George Hartleroad was stopped by officers for not having a rear reflector on his bicycle in West Des Moines in June.
The video shows the bearded fugitive identifying himself as ‘Gregory Stallins’ and telling the officer he is a homeless man who has lived in Iowa since 1991 when he was asked for identification.
But suspecting something might be wrong after realizing the person behind the fake Hartleroad alias was dead, the officer found him again about 30 minutes later and began questioning him further.
George Hartleroad, 71, a convicted rapist who has been on the run for 30 years, was arrested after he was stopped by traffic police in Iowa for not having a rear reflector on his bicycle.
“I don’t want to arrest you for stopping without a rear reflector because like I told you, I stop people to let them know because I don’t want it to be your fault when you get hit, but if I can’t verify who you are and the information you gave me doesn’t get to anybody,” the officer told Hartleroad.
“In fact, the problem falls on other people. That is a bigger problem,” the police officer added.
In the video, the officer then asks the fugitive if he has any warrants for his arrest and requests to see his driver’s license.
But Hartleroad stands by his claim that he is a Stallin, saying he has “not had a driver’s license in years.”
The video shows the bearded fugitive identifying himself as ‘Gregory Stallins’ and telling the officer he is a homeless man who has lived in Iowa since 1991.
During questioning, Hartleroad continues to claim that this is indeed his fake alias and says he “hasn’t had a driver’s license in years.”
The officer finally reveals that he knows Stallion is dead and warns Hartleroad to tell the truth about his identity.
“It’s time for you to be honest with me, okay? So, the information you gave me is about a dead guy. Gregory Stallins is dead,” the officer can be heard threatening.
But Hartleroad refuses to reveal his true identity and continues to insist that he is Stallins.
“You’re Gregory, you’re just not dead?” the bewildered officer asks.
“I’m not dead,” Hartleroad replies.
At one point, the policeman ask He asks him to remove his hat and glasses so that a facial recognition photograph can be taken, at which point the fugitive admits his true identity.
The officer then learned that Wisconsin authorities had been looking for him since 1994, when he escaped from a halfway house.
“It’s time for you to be honest with me, okay? So, the information you gave me is about a dead guy. Gregory Stallins is dead,” the officer can be heard threatening.
According to the The New York PostHartleroad was convicted of rape in 1983 and served five years in prison.
As officers arrest him, he is heard saying: “I’ll jump again as soon as they let me go. They’ve been putting pressure on me for… 41 years and I’ve already served nine years.”
Hartleroad is currently in the Dane County Jail in Madison, Wisconsin, according to inmate records.