Man Carjacks Family Sitting in Taco Bell Drive-Thru, Drives Off With Kids, Crashes Into Restaurant: Report

A 44-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday after allegedly carjacking a family of four waiting in the drive-thru line at a Taco Bell in Green, Ohio.

Mark Carlson, identifiable by the tattoos plastered across his head and neck, reportedly carjacked a vehicle in Akron earlier that day. However, he ran out of gas when the vehicle reached Green, according to a release from the Summit County Sheriff's Office. Carlson then allegedly tried, but failed, to carjack another vehicle before running across the road to a nearby Taco Bell. There, he successfully carjacked a vehicle waiting in the drive-thru line.

Law enforcement stated that he "forced his way into the vehicle after a struggle with the female driver" and drove away with the car, in which three children aged 2, 5, and 6, were still sitting. In his haste to escape, Carlson reportedly crashed the car into the side of the building. He then let the 6-year-old and 5-year-old out of the car and drove off with the 2-year-old still in the back seat.

Carlson allegedly drove another 2.5 miles to a Circle K gas station. There, he removed the 2-year-old from the car and fled on Interstate 77, according to authorities.

Sheriff's deputies pursued Carlson as he headed south, then north, on the interstate towards Akron. Eventually, he pulled over and ran into a wooded area on foot, according to authorities. One deputy was injured in the pursuit and was taken to the hospital by the fire department.

Carlson now faces charges of kidnapping, aggravated assault, theft of a motor vehicle, and fleeing a police officer, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.