Wild Police Chase for Alleged N.C. Bank Robber Carlos Burns
Turns out the suspect, 29-year-old Carlos DeShawn Burns, had a prior conviction for a more serious offense.
The Tuesday incident started just before 2 p.m. when a Wachovia Bank on West Sugar Creek Road in Charlotte was robbed and Burns took off, according to the FBI.
The chase started not far from the bank, on Interstate 77 in northern Mecklenburg County, then moved to southbound Interstate 485 before connecting to southbound I-85.
The incident eventually ended on I-85 northbound at 2:40 p.m., when Burns' car was boxed in and stopped. He gave up after appearing to try to ram one trooper's car door.
Burns told police he is from the Atlanta area and that he borrowed the car from a friend. He also said he does not know his way around the Charlotte area very well, police said.
There did not appear to be any serious injuries.
Burns was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
Police say Burns was tracked for years in Los Angeles and is a reported gang member from southern California.
According to the Los Angeles Times, he was tried four times before being convicted of attempted murder. The first three trials all ended in a hung jury before prosecutors eventually won a conviction in 2002. Burns was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
He appealed the verdict, and five years ago a judge threw out the conviction on a legal technicality.
Burns now faces charges in the bank robbery, and potential counts for the chase. Authorities say he didn't get much money in the heist.
Story Contributed by CBS Affiliate WBTV