Agent Arrested & Charged Following Pursuit

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — Authorities say a man is facing charges after an encounter with a Bel Air woman this week as he tried to repossess her husband’s vehicle. The “repo man” is accused of trying to run the Dodge Journey off the road and lifting the SUV up in the air with a towing apparatus while the woman was still inside after she had stopped.

Astii D.C. Dunnum, 27, of New Castle, Delaware, has been charged with five offenses, Maryland State Police reported on Wednesday.

Court records show Dunnum also has an Elkton address in the 4200 block of Stonegate Boulevard and was charged with the following in connection with the incident in Harford County on Monday, Oct. 22:

• First-degree assault
• Second-degree assault
• Malicious destruction of property greater than $1,000
• Reckless endangerment
• Disorderly conduct

Police said the charges stem from an incident that occurred on Monday, Oct. 22. A Bel Air woman had been in her yard when a man suddenly drove into her driveway.

“She stated she was afraid of being struck, so she entered her vehicle,” police said in a statement on Wednesday. “She said the suspect did not exit his vehicle to identify himself, so she feared for her safety and drove away.”

A pursuit ensued, with Dunnum following the 53-year-old Bel Air woman onto MD 543 and then US 1, where he allegedly crossed into oncoming traffic so that he could try to push her vehicle off the road, hitting her SUV at one point.

“Multiple calls by other drivers to the Bel Air Barrack supported the report of the pursuit and dangerous driving behavior,” police said in a statement.

The Bel Air woman pulled into a convenience store in Darlington in the 1200 block of Main Street, where she said the man activated the towing apparatus and lifted her vehicle with her still inside, according to officials.

Police said a trooper was dispatched for a reported assault around 3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 22.

When the officer arrived, the woman was still inside the SUV, and its front tires had been lifted approximately 6 feet in the air by Dunnum’s tow in the Darlington store’s parking lot.

“Numerous calls had been received from the victim, accused and other drivers concerning circumstances related to this incident,” police said. “The arriving trooper found both the suspect and the victim on the scene.”

Police said the woman was taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation, and Dunnum was arrested.

“The trooper did confirm the suspect had a repossession order for the car the victim was driving,” police reported.

Dunnum was charged and released by a court commissioner on a $5,000 bond, according to authorities.

A preliminary hearing in the case is set for Nov. 19 in Harford County District Court in Bel Air.