Giovanni Esposito
The Dalton Police Department arrested Giovanni Esposito, 22, Sunday evening on charges of aggravated assault after he nearly ran over an officer and two other people attempting to evade capture in a car, said police. The incident began with a report that Esposito was selling counterfeit cell phones.
The incident began shortly before 4:30 p.m. on Sunday when Dalton Police Officer Matias Castillo was dispatched to a parking lot on Glenwood Avenue for a call of a suspicious vehicle. When Officer Castillo arrived, he was flagged down by the complainant, a taxi driver who reported that Esposito was attempting to sell fake Samsung Galaxy S6 from his car.
Esposito, who was sitting in his white Hyundai, began to back out of his parking space, said police. When Officer Castillo commanded him to stop, Esposito drove forward towards the officer and the cab driver and his two fares who were standing outside of the vehicle, said police. Officer Castillo and the others were able to get out of the way.
Esposito fled at a high rate of speed westbound on Tyler Street, running the red light at Hamilton Street, said police. Officer Castillo was unable to catch up to the car and called out a lookout on the vehicle. Esposito was stopped by another officer a short time later and taken into custody.
The complainant reported that one of his taxi clients had told him about buying a cell phone from Esposito only to later find out that there was a Facebook post warning people that he was selling fake phones. The complainant then called Esposito using the number on the Facebook warning and set up a meeting and called police to the scene. After Esposito’s arrest, he was found to be in possession of five counterfeit Samsung Galaxy cell phones, said police.
Investigators are asking anyone who bought a cell phone from Giovanni Esposito to please contact Detective Tommy Ensley at 706.278-9085, dial 9 and enter extension 157. Esposito has been charged with theft by deception, aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit a crime.
The phones Giovanni Esposito was selling