MECHANICS WANTED
THE REPO MAN COMETH AND GOETH NOT WITHOUT THE SUV: Astil Dunnum busted for assault in The Case of The Raging Repo Man from Hell
DARLINGTON, MD – Why would a Repo Man decide to take such drastic action to take back a vehicle for a bank – unless of course he is only paid by the snatch. In this story reported by the Maryland State Police, a repo man went berserk and ended up being hauled off the jail without his tow truck and the intended tow left behind.
According to police, a man with addresses in both Elkton and Delaware, was arrested on Oct. 22, 2018, in Harford County after he allegedly assaulted the driver of a vehicle he was attempting to repossess during his pursuit of her down Rt.1 that ended when he lifted her vehicle into the air while she remained inside.
The suspect is identified as Astii Darobert Carter Dunnum, 27, of 4211 Stonegate Blvd., Elkton, Md. Dunnum was charged by Maryland State Trooper Atkinson with assault, destruction of property and disorderly conduct. He was released by a court commissioner on a $5,000 bond.
At about 3:00 p.m. on October 22, 2018, Trooper Atkinson from the Bel Air Barrack was dispatched to a convenience store parking lot in the 1200-block of Main Street in Darlington, Md., for the report of an assault.
Numerous calls had been received from the victim, accused and other drivers concerning circumstances related to this incident. The arriving trooper found both the suspect and the victim on the scene. The victim was still inside the Dodge Journey SUV that was registered to her husband. The front tires of her vehicle had been lifted about six feet in the air by the tow apparatus operated by the suspect.
Through interviews and investigation, the trooper learned the 53-year old victim was in her yard in the 1400-block of North Road in Bel Air when the suspect abruptly drove into her driveway. She stated she was afraid of being struck, so she entered her vehicle. She said the suspect did not exit his vehicle to identify himself, so she feared for her safety and drove away.
The Maryland State Police report that a pursuit then ensued, as the suspect followed the victim onto Rt. 543 and then to northbound Rt. 1. While on Rt. 1, the victim said the suspect crossed into the opposing lane of travel and attempted to push her off the road multiple times. The victim stated the suspect actually struck her vehicle at one point. Multiple calls by other drivers to the Bel Air Barrack supported the report of the pursuit and dangerous driving behavior. When the victim pulled into the convenience store parking lot, she reported the suspect deployed the tow apparatus and lifted the front of her vehicle off the ground while she remained inside.
The victim was transported by ambulance to a hospital for a medical evaluation. The suspect was arrested on-scene by the trooper. The trooper did confirm the suspect had a repossession order for the car the victim was driving.
Dunnum was released on $5,000 bond on Oct. 23, 2018, and has his first court appearance on Nov. 19, 2018, in Harford County District Court. The taxpayers of Maryland will be providing Dunnum with a free attorney, according to court records. The free attorney didn’t show up promptly and Dunnum ended up spending a night in jail as a result, thereby adding more drama to this story.
