Wild Georgia manhunt includes 2 car crashes and an Uber ride — suspect spotted knocking on doors in the area

A tense, multi-county manhunt for 52-year-old Timothy Shane came to a close early Wednesday, December 3, 2025, when law enforcement arrested Shane in a suburban home in Covington, Georgia, 35 miles from where he first escaped custody.

While on the run, Shane allegedly stole several vehicles, was captured on door cam footage knocking on doors in the area asking for water, and somehow called a rideshare pickup, reportedly without a cell phone.

A suicide attempt and stolen vehicles

It all started on November 23, 2025, when police arrested Shane after a high-speed chase in which police say he was driving recklessly with a woman who later alleged she had been kidnapped and forced to withdraw money under duress. Cops booked him into Rockdale County Jail on charges including methamphetamine possession, possession of a weapon during a felony, and attempting to elude police.

A few weeks later, on the evening of Sunday, November 30, after what authorities described as a suspected suicide attempt, Shane was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta for medical evaluation.

Shortly after midnight on Monday, deputies say Shane bolted from hospital custody. He left wearing nothing more than a hospital gown and no shoes, in chilly overnight temperatures. Authorities now believe Shane staged the suicide attempt in a plot to escape.

Once on the run, Shane ran on foot into the hospital parking area, where he stole a parked SUV. A short time later, he crashed that SUV less than a mile away and fled the scene on foot once again. The SUV’s owner later reported a Glock handgun missing from inside the vehicle.

Not done yet, investigators say Shane was later caught on camera stealing a second car — a silver Pontiac Grand Prix — near Mercedes‑Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Searchers found the vehicle abandoned the same night in a grocery store parking lot in Henry County.

The door cam footage

While still a fugitive, authorities say he then used a ride-hailing service without a cell phone, ordering an Uber ride from the grocery store to a house in south Rockdale County. Deputies executed a search warrant at that home, but he was not located there. All the while, authorities searched across multiple counties with K-9 teams, helicopters. Authorities believe Shane may have possibly a stolen credit card to facilitate parts of his escape and travel.

Believed to be armed and dangerous, residents in several neighborhoods were advised not to approach him if seen. Early Wednesday morning, the search ended when deputies received credible tips that Shane was being seen “knocking on doors” asking for water in a residential area of Covington.

Shane, back in custody

Using a combination of doorbell-camera footage, grocery-store surveillance, and K-9 tracking, officers located the suspect inside an abandoned house. He was taken into custody without reported injuries. Shane no longer wore the hospital gown upon his arrest, wearing instead what appeared to be a hoodie and dark pants.

At the same time, a formal internal and criminal investigation has been launched to determine how the escape occurred, including how Shane was able to allegedly stage his suicide attempt and flee from deputies while at Grady Memorial Hospital. The sheriff’s office has placed the deputy who was guarding Shane on administrative leave pending the outcome of that review.