UPDATE

Two days after he avoided arrest and triggered a manhunt in a south Forsyth neighborhood, a Lithonia man is in custody.

According to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Kennie Askew arranged to turn himself in Thursday afternoon in Alpharetta.

Askew, 45, is being held at the Forsyth County Detention Center. Bond has not been set.

He has been charged by the sheriff’s office with obstructing law enforcement officers and driving on a suspended license after fleeing from an off-duty officer Tuesday in the Bridle Ridge subdivision.

He also faces charges in Cobb and Gwinnett counties.

“We’re glad to be able to ease the minds of those living in neighborhoods involved in the search on Tuesday night, and the rest of the community,” said Sheriff Ted Paxton.

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Authorities were still patrolling a south Forsyth subdivision Wednesday after a fugitive with a lengthy criminal history managed to elude an extensive manhunt the night before.

Forsyth County Sheriff’s deputies are searching for Kennie Askew, a 45-year-old Lithonia resident who may be armed and is wanted on traffic and various other charges in three counties.

“The reality is he’s probably long gone from the area,” said Forsyth County Sheriff’s Capt. Tim House.

According to authorities, Askew is sought in Cobb County on several charges, including running a stop sign, driving with a suspended license and obstruction. He also faces various counts in neighboring Gwinnett County.

Askew has been in prison at least six times since 1987 for crimes ranging from shoplifting to armed robbery, according to the state Department of Corrections.

Noting what he described as Askew’s “extensive criminal history,” House said authorities are “hoping that if people in the area happen to see him that they will call us.”

Tuesday’s incident began about 5 p.m., when an off-duty Milton police officer saw a suspicious vehicle in the Bridle Ridge subdivision off Peachtree Parkway (Hwy. 141).

A woman, whose name is not known, got into the driver’s seat of the vehicle while Askew went up to a home.

“It was obvious he didn’t know the people in the house and the people in the house didn’t know him,” House said.

“The officer went back to his car to run the license and at that point [Askew] went back to the car he got out of, reached in and got something that appeared to be a weapon and took off running.”

House said when the officer went after Askew, the woman ran in the other direction.

“At that point the officer was engaged in a chase with a man that could have had a weapon, so that was a priority,” House said.

By the time Milton’s police department contacted the county, “we were behind the curve.”

“He had a pretty good length of time lead against us as far as his getaway,” House said. “We tracked him into some creeks … we had a Gwinnett County helicopter out and they assisted us for about an hour. Then we put the dogs back in and they were unable to pick up a fresh scent.”

According to House, Askew likely used a cell phone to contact a friend or family member to pick him up from the woods.

Officers also searched vehicles in the neighborhood to ensure Askew wasn’t hiding in one.

House added that “nobody was ever prohibited from entering or leaving their homes” during the manhunt.

When caught, Askew will also face an obstruction charge and traffic violations in Forsyth.