A reported robbery Tuesday night outside the Walmart Super Center on East Oglethorpe Highway eventually gave way to a high-speed chase that had Hinesville police, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Georgia State Patrol troopers traveling at speeds upwards of 93 miles per hour.

The suspect in the incident later was identified as William Andrew Scott, 28, of Paducah, Ky.

Hyong Ludwig, 53, said a man stole her purse at around 7:30 p.m. as she was leaving the store. Ludwig told police the suspect approached her from behind, put a knife against her ribs and said, “Give me your money.” He reportedly grabbed her purse and when Ludwig resisted, the suspect told her, “I’ll kill you.”

She let go of the purse and the suspect ran to a small, white pickup, which already was running, according to the incident report.
A sheriff’s deputy, who heard a description of the suspect and his vehicle come across the radio, spotted the suspect at a gas station on Airport Road and Oglethorpe Highway in Walthourville. When the deputy asked the man to step out of the car, the man reportedly said something to the effect of, “What did I do?” and took off at a high rate of speed, according to Liberty County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Keith Moran.

The chase stretched from Walthourville’s Shaw Road onto Hinesville’s South Main Street and then down East Oglethorpe Highway into Midway.

The robbery suspect lost control of his vehicle just west of Interstate 95 in Midway. He climbed out of the car and tried to run into the woods, but law-enforcement officials Tasered the suspect and arrested him. He has been charged with possession of a firearm or knife during commission of or attempt to commit certain felonies, armed robbery, fleeing or attempting to allude an officer and several other traffic-related citations.

Police said Scott had a woman with him, later identified as Rebecca Ray, 26, of Symsonia, Ky., but her role in the incident is not known. She also was arrested and charged with party to a crime of armed robbery.

Warrants already had been issued in Kentucky for Scott and Ray’s arrests in connection with unrelated incidents.