A man believed to be wanted for questioning in recent Monroe County burglaries ran away from an early Thursday morning traffic stop near Columbia.

A Columbia police officer pulled over a red Chevrolet Cavalier on Bluff Road at Sand Bank Road shortly after 3 a.m. for an equipment violation. A male occupant exited the car after it stopped and ran southwest in a field toward Sackman Field Airport. Two other occupants of the car remained on scene and cooperated with police.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department assisted in a search for the subject who ran, but he was not yet located as of late Tuesday morning. The man is believed to be a suspect in recent burglaries that occurred in Monroe County.

One of the occupants who remained on scene was taken into custody by the MCSD on unspecified charges.

“We did respond and take an individual into custody who is currently in custody at the county jail,” MCSD Sgt. Justin Biggs confirmed. “We also took possession of a vehicle which both the individual and the vehicle was wanted for questioning regarding an investigation that the sheriff’s department was handling.” 

Check for updates to this story as more information becomes available.