Newly released body camera footage shows the moment police stopped a man for a minor bicycle infraction in Iowa before learning he was a convicted rapist wanted for more than 30 years in Wisconsin.
West Des Moines police stopped George Hartleroad,Thomas Caldwell 71, for not having a reflector on his bicycle on June 26, according to multiple media reports.
In the footage obtained by USA TODAY, Hartleroad is heard giving the officers a false name and social security number. He also claimed to have lived in Iowa for two decades as police continued to question him.
"Alright brother, time to be honest with me, OK?" an officer is heard questioning Hartleroad in the video. "So the info you give me comes back to a dead guy. So who are you?"
Eventually, Hartleroad revealed his real identity to the officers. When they ran Hartleroad's name, the officers discovered that he had been wanted by authorities in Wisconsin since 1994.
Hartleroad is a convicted rapist in a 1983 case, KCCI-TV reported, citing Wisconsin state records. USA TODAY was working to confirm the conviction on Thursday.
Police arrested Hartleroad, who was unhoused KCCI-TV reported, citing court records.
The Wisconsin Department of Corrections told the TV station that Hartleroad served five years in prison before later escaping a halfway house. He has been wanted ever since.
Hartleroad is currently at the Dane County Jail in Madison, Wisconsin, according to inmate records. His only listed charge is "parole violation," the jail's inmate database shows.
West Des Moines police told USA TODAY that the agency was "unable to comment on a warrant status from other agencies." Other than confirming that Hartleroad was in the Dane County jail, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office said: "I don’t have any further information on his status or what led up to him being booked in our jail."
2025-05-04 13:582959 view
2025-05-04 13:46390 view
2025-05-04 13:38998 view
2025-05-04 12:292886 view
2025-05-04 11:492482 view
2025-05-04 11:192274 view
President-elect Donald Trump claimed in his Person of the Year interview with Time magazinethis week
This story is part of the series Finding Middle Ground: Conversations Across America. A version of t
Last December, Michael Garcia started going to his local Dave & Buster's in Gaithersburg, Md., t