On Sunday, February 2, 2025, an attempted carjacking incident on Interstate 77 in Iredell County led to the arrest of Jankly Omar Sarmiento-Korea. According to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, Patrol Sergeant N. Hodges was traveling southbound near Mile Marker 63 when he observed a man running in the northbound lanes, trying to stop vehicles.
Sergeant Hodges stopped to investigate and saw Sarmiento-Korea behaving erratically, jumping in front of cars and attempting to open vehicle doors. Despite multiple verbal commands to stop, the suspect fled on foot. During the pursuit, Sarmiento-Korea reportedly turned toward the officer while holding a weapon. In response, Sergeant Hodges drew his service weapon and ordered him to stop. The suspect dropped the weapon but continued running.
A physical altercation occurred when Sergeant Hodges caught up to Sarmiento-Korea and attempted to detain him. Several bystanders stepped in to assist in restraining the suspect. Emergency medical personnel transported Sarmiento-Korea to Iredell Memorial Hospital for evaluation.
Following the incident, Sergeant Hodges obtained multiple felony warrants against Sarmiento-Korea. Upon his release from the hospital, he was taken to the Iredell County Detention Center, where he was formally charged. Magistrate Watkins issued a $125,000 secured bond.
Authorities also contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after determining that Sarmiento-Korea had previously been deported. ICE has placed a detainer on him pending further action.
