Man stuffed in car trunk, deputies hurt as chase leads to kidnapping, robbery arrests

At the end of a 110-mph car chase across Macon’s west side, Bibb County sheriff’s deputies caught a pair of accused armed robbers and rescued their victim — a man the bandits had allegedly forced into the trunk of his own Toyota.

About 9 p.m. Monday night, deputy Michael Dorough spotted a silver 2001 Celica traveling down Hartley Bridge Road with no taillights.

Dorough tried to pull the car over, but it didn’t stop.

So he followed it west toward Interstate 75, where the Toyota raced north onto Interstate 475, reaching speeds of up to 110 mph, a sheriff’s report noted.

After more than five miles on the freeway, the car exited at Thomaston Road and cut back south down Interstate Drive and other roads toward Eisenhower Parkway, where it headed west in the eastbound lane. The car passed Middle Georgia State University and swung south onto Romeiser Road at a Burger King and stopped at a dead end. Two people inside the car ran.

A pair of sheriff’s deputies suffered leg injuries — including a fractured ankle — while chasing the passenger, Raul Sanchez-Gonzalez, 28, who was caught and arrested.

Deputies also nabbed his alleged accomplice, India Denise Summers, 20, who was said to have been driving the car.

Meanwhile, the car’s owner was in the trunk.

According to a sheriff’s report, the suspects had robbed him and “placed him” there.

The victim, Cody Berkner, 21, of Jones County, told investigators that Sanchez forced him into the car at gunpoint and ordered him to withdraw cash at several ATMs.

Sometime earlier that night, Berkner had gone to the Rodeway Inn at 4952 Romeiser Drive to meet Summers, authorities said.

Shortly after Berkner arrived at the motel, Sanchez pulled a gun and ordered Berkner into the Toyota, authorities said.

Bibb sheriff’s Lt. Randy Gonzalez told The Telegraph that it was only by good fortune that deputy Dorough happened to notice the Celica’s faulty taillights.

“No telling what might have happened,” the lieutenant said.

Sanchez, of Macon, and Summers, of Roberta, face armed robbery and kidnapping charges.

Sanchez also had outstanding warrants for armed robbery and criminal attempt to commit armed robbery.

This story was originally published March 14, 2017 at 6:59 AM with the headline "Man stuffed in car trunk, deputies hurt as chase leads to kidnapping, robbery arrests."