Hart County deputies have arrested a 42-year-old Eastanollee man wanted on multiple felony sex-crime warrants out of Stark County, Ohio. Authorities identified him as Anthony William Savko and said deputies found him at Knox Bridge Crossing, then took him to the Hart County Jail without incident. The warrants accuse him of two counts of rape, one count of gross sexual imposition and one count of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, and Stark County officials have told Georgia deputies they intend to extradite Savko back to Ohio to face the charges.
How deputies located him
The Hart County Sheriff's Office said deputies encountered Savko along Knox Bridge Crossing on Wednesday and took him into custody. Officials described the arrest as peaceful and said he was booked into the Hart County Jail while authorities work out the transfer arrangements, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. The sheriff's office has not disclosed what led deputies to that location.
Charges and extradition
Stark County has four active felony warrants for Savko: two counts of rape, one count of gross sexual imposition and one count of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, as reported by WSPA via AOL. Stark County officials have told Georgia authorities they plan to extradite him to Ohio, although no timetable for that transfer has been made public. The Hart County Sheriff's Office issued an official statement from Sheriff Chris Carroll confirming the arrest.
What remains unclear
Officials have not said when the alleged crimes in Ohio took place, and the Hart County Sheriff's Office declined to explain what information led deputies to Savko's location, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. For now, Savko remains in the Hart County Jail while agencies work out the out-of-state transfer.
Local context
Eastanollee is a small community near Hartwell in northeast Georgia; Hart County is policed by the sheriff's office based in Hartwell. Local officials operate the county jail and routinely coordinate with other jurisdictions on extraditions, according to the Hart County Sheriff's Office.
Legal next steps
If Stark County follows through on the extradition request, Ohio authorities will pick up Savko and pursue the felony warrants in their courts. The Hart County Sheriff's Office has said it will cooperate with the extradition process, as reported by WSPA via AOL. Because the warrants involve felony-level sex offenses and a minor, any future hearings and trials are expected to take place in Stark County once he is transferred.
