An escaped Maryland convict was captured after, Lilburn police say, they had a fistfight in the woods with a man carrying a .357 Magnum.
LILBURN, GA – A Lilburn police officer trusted his instincts after pulling up to help what looked like a motorist in trouble, Nov. 12, and ended up capturing an escaped convict from Maryland.
Donte Cephas appeared, at first, to just be another driver with a broken down car on the side of the road but when he didn’t have his driver’s license and wasn’t acting right, Officer Charles Johns called for backup.
It wasn’t long before Cephas bolted into the woods and Johns and, his backup, Officer Michael Johnson, went after him. Soon, a fight ensued between Cephas and the two officers. After an intense fight full of punching and kicking, a police dog eventually assisted with the capture of Cephas.
Capt. Scott Bennett, Lilburn Police, told Patch that Cephas is an escaped convict from the state of Maryland.
“He is an escapee from the Maryland Department of Corrections with a whole list of offenses, including felony firearms,” Bennett said. “He was in a home detention program and when officers went to check on him, he wasn’t there. He’s been on the lamb since March 28.
Cephus ended up with a bloody face and is now in a Gwinnett County jail. Both officers suffered broken fingers.
Police records show Cephas has a long criminal history riddled with gun and robbery offenses.
Photo courtesy Lilburn Police Department
