Pedro Mateo

Name:
Mateo, Pedro

Date of Booking:
08/14/2026

Reason(s) For Booking:
Hit & Run; Driver To Stop/ Return To Accident Scene

Failure To Stop At Stop Sign

Use Of Safety Belts Violation (adults 18+ Yrs Old)

Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]

On August 13, 2026 at 1933 I was dispatched to the area of W Tyler St Chattanooga Ave in reference to an accident that had occurred. For details of crash see Gears report

When I arrived on scene I quickly discovered that the driver of the silver truck with tag [REDACTED BY AGENCY] had fled the scene on foot. While looking inside the truck I noticed he had left his cell phone in the vehicle. At this point a person driving by stated that they saw the driver of the truck hiding in the woods just south of the crash. I notified dispatch of this and then went into the woods to see if I was able to locate the male.

Other units then quickly joined me on scene to attempt to locate the male. I was able to obtain a description of the male from 2 witnesses that had seen the crash occur. Witnesses stated that the driver was a short male who appeared to be Guatemalan with short black hair. Witnesses also stated that the male was wearing a dark blue shirt and blue jeans. Since the male was not in the woods where the passerby stated he saw the male, I then began to work the crash while other units continued to search for him. I ran the tag for the truck and discovered that the owner of the truck was a male by the name of Pedro Mateo.

While working the crash, I discovered that the driver of the other vehicle, Katelyn Ensley had a suspended license due to failure to appear that had occurred previously. I then placed Katelyn under arrest and brought her to the front of my patrol car. I then searched Katelyn incident to arrest. There was no contraband located on Katelyn’s person. I then placed Katelyn in the back of my patrol car and buckled her in. I then began my transport to the jail.

Once at the jail I secured my firearm in the secure area of the sally port. I then turned Katelyn over to booking staff. Katelyn had stated to me that she had been able to get a look at the driver of the truck before he had fled on foot due to him coming to her car to check on her and then quickly fleeing. Katelyn stated that she would be willing to look at a photo line up to try and identify the driver. I had booking staff put this photo line up together.

Officer Miller presented this line up to Katelyn. Once Officer Miller had completed the photo line up with Katelyn he returned the line up to me. Katelyn had not identified the suspect, Pedro Mateo, she instead identified a different person on the photo line up with a 80 percent certainty later entered this line up into evidence. I then went back to my patrol car and wrote Katelyn the following citation:

OCGA 40-5-121 License-suspended or revoked

Katelyn signed my copy and I turned her copy over to booking staff. I checked the back of my patrol car both prior to and after my transport of Katelyn. I then retrieved my firearm from the sally port. Katelyn stated that she is a U.S. citizen and does not have any medical conditions.

I then spoke with 2 witnesses ([REDACTED BY AGENCY] and [REDACTED BY AGENCY]) via phone call who saw the crash. Both [REDACTED BY AGENCY] and [REDACTED BY AGENCY] stated that they would be willing to attempt to identify the driver of the truck from a photo lineup. I had the jail create 2 more photo line ups and Officer Miller and I met with both [REDACTED BY AGENCY] and [REDACTED BY AGENCY] at [REDACTED BY AGENCY] home.

Officer Miller presented both of the photo line ups to both girls one at a time while I stood by with the other from a distance. Once the photo line up was complete Officer Miller returned both completed photo lineups to me. I later entered both of these into evidence. Both [REDACTED BY AGENCY] and [REDACTED BY AGENCY] were able to positively identify the owner of the truck, Pedro Mateo as the driver who had fled.

When I looked Pedro’s license up in GCIC I discovered that he lived at [REDACTED BY AGENCY]. Since this is a county location I requested that deputies attempt to make contact with Pedro and if they are able to do so, to contact me and I will meet them at the home to speak with him in person. Deputies from Whitfield County sheriffs department were able to make contact with Pedro.

When I arrived on scene at [REDACTED BY AGENCY] I asked Pedro where he was today around the hours of 1900 to 1933. Pedro stated that he was in Chatsworth on his way back home from work. When I asked Pedro how he was getting back home from work Pedro pointed at a white work van that was sitting in the driveway and stated that he had driven that vehicle. I then asked Pedro if he knew where his truck was. Pedro then stated that he had loaned it to his father, [REDACTED]. Pedro then stated that his father had told him about the accident.

I asked Pedro if he could tell me what he knew about the accident. Pedro stated that his father had told him that he had gotten in an accident in his truck today and had then fled the scene. I asked Pedro where his father was to which Pedro stated that he was at his home on 5th ave. I asked Pedro if he could show me his chest to see if there were any marks on this area from a seatbelt. I did not notice any marks on Pedro. I then asked Pedro if he let his father borrow his truck often. Pedro stated that he did at times when he needed it.

Based on the truck belonging to Pedro, Pedro matching the description of the suspect, the witnesses identifying Pedro in a photo line up, Pedro not being able to prove where he was at the time of the accident, Pedro not stopping at a stop sign. and the lack of seatbelt marks on Pedro from the accident I then placed Pedro under arrest and cited him for the following.

OCGA 40-8-76.1 Safety belt violation (age 18 and over)
OCGA 40-6-270 Leaving the scene of accident
OCGA 40-6-72b Failure to stop at stop/yield sign

I then placed Pedro into handcuffs and escorted him to the front of my patrol car. I then searched Pedro incident to arrest with the help of Whitfield County deputies. I did not locate any contraband on Pedro’s person. I then placed Pedro in the back of my patrol car and buckled him in before beginning my transport to Whitfield County jail.

Once at the jail I secured my firearm in the secure area of the sally port and then escorted Pedro in to booking and turned him over to booking staff. Once booking had completed their process with Pedro I then read Pedro his miranda rights and asked if he would like to answer a few more questions for me in reference to this father. Pedro stated that he would be willing to do this.

Officer Warnix and I then asked Pedro a few more questions. During this questioning, Pedro stated that his father had walked over to his home at roughly 2200 and had told him about the car accident. Pedro then stated that he then gave his father a ride back to his home located in Dalton at 5th ave. Pedro stated that he did not suggest to his father that he call police to speak with us regarding the crash nor did he call police to notify us that his father was the driver of the accident that had fled from the scene.

Pedro stated that he was planning on calling tomorrow to see where his truck was. Pedro did not state that he was planning on speaking to police regarding the accident, His only goal was to locate his truck. When we asked Pedro why he thinks that his father would have fled from the scene Pedro stated that it was because of everything that has been going on with Ice and he did not want to deal with it.

After our questioning was completed, I explained the citations that I had written to Pedro. Pedro signed my copy and I handed his copies over to booking staff. Pedro stated that he is a U.S. citizen and he does not have any medical conditions. I then retrieved my firearm from the secure area. I checked the back of my patrol car both prior to and after my transport of Pedro.

The accident footage, arrest, questioning, search, and transport of both Pedro and Katelyn was captured on patrol car 67. The interview of Pedro once he was at the jail was captured on Officer Warnix’s body cam.

[End of Narrative]