By Mike Morris The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Madison - A former Columbia police officer faces kidnapping and assault charges after a 13-hour hostage standoff at an interstate hotel 60 miles east of Atlanta ended peacefully Monday.
David Dietz, 25, of West Columbia, S.C., and a teenaged girl surrendered about 9:15 a.m., FBI spokesman Steve Lazarus said. They were holed up in a hotel room with his infant son and estranged wife, authorities said.
No one was injured, but Dietz allegedly fired two shots at officers early in the standoff, leading to the aggravated assault charges in addition to kidnapping.
The standoff, at the Red Roof Inn near Madison, started about 8 p.m. Sunday when a state trooper spotted a Ford Explorer that was the subject of an Amber Alert for a missing or abducted child.
Police said Dietz and Jamie Lynn Burgess, 17, abducted Allim Dietz, 7 months, and Dietzs estranged wife, Eva Perez, 29, from West Columbia Saturday night.
Burgess wont face federal charges because shes a minor. Police said Burgess and Dietz were acquaintances but wouldnt elaborate on their relationship.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.