Sampson County deputies contributed to the quick end of an Amber Alert on Wednesday morning.
The North Carolina Center for Missing Persons published photos and an alert from Randolph County about Iris Everly-Marie Fargis, 1, believed to have been with Tyler Ray Toodle, 26. Included in the alert was the detail that Toodle had ties to Sampson County and was driving a Black 2018 Honda Civic.
Within an hour of the statewide alert, Sampson deputies spotted a car matching that description on N.C. Highway 24 near Roseboro. After a short chase, deputies used stop sticks to disable the car. It swerved off Mitchell Loop Road and into a ditch, where deputies were able to take a suspect into custody and rescue the child.
Authorities said the car started a fire in dry grass after the chase ended and deputies had taken everyone into custody safely.
According to authorities, Iris was not injured, and Sampson County social services agents were expected to return her to her family.
WRAL News got video of a Sampson County deputy carrying Iris to safety in a car seat and putting her into a sheriff’s office vehicle.
Michael Gil watched the chase outside of his home.
“I couldn’t believe she was in the car,” Gil said of Iris. “That care is on fire. We are all really happy that she was fine.”
WRAL’s Sky 5 flew over Mitchell Loop Road where a burned out car was visible along the side of the road.
WRAL News is working to learn more about any relationship between Toodle and Iris.
Toodle is charged with felony kidnapping, felony larceny of a motor vehicle and misdemeanor driving while a license is revoked.
Authorities took Toodle at the Sampson County Detention Center.
A check of Toodle’s criminal record shows charges of domestic violence and assault on a female in Guilford County from August 2024.
Court records show Toodle and the alleged victim of that assault shared an address a recently as July.
