RANDOLPH COUNTY, N.C. — Investigators say suspect Dustin Diehl first fled from deputies in Davidson County on Wednesday after they were called to a home near Denton for an assault. They followed him into Randolph County, where he crashed his car and took off into the woods near Gopher Woods Road and Old Hwy. 49.
On Thursday, law enforcement reported Diehl was spotted on Jackson Creek Road in Randolph County - where he broke into a home, tried to lock a woman in a bedroom, and robbed her at gunpoint - stealing her van.
He then led Randolph County deputies on a second vehicle pursuit, wrecking the stolen van near Handy/NC 49, back in Davidson County, according to the Sheriff's Office. Deputies and troopers are still searching for the suspect, who ran off into the woods again - similar to Wednesday's incident.
However, before the robbery and second chase - one Randolph County family says the suspect walked up to their front door Thursday morning.
"We were already cautious because we knew the guy was on the run somewhere in our area because there were helicopters flying over our house all night," said Tammy Mabe.
She was on the lookout - but she never expected Diehl to come to her door.
"I was talking on the phone to my sister-in-law who was telling me that the cops were in her driveway," she explained, "She lives down the road. While I was talking to her is when the guy rang the doorbell."
Her 7-year-old grandson, Liam, peeked through the window.
"I saw him, and I'm like oh, it's Papa," he said, "Then I realized, I looked at the door I'm like, oh my Papa doesn't come here this early. So I start coming to the door with my hand...and then I just said, 'Nana...'"
"I realized who it was and I made him, I said - lay down, and I did it quietly. I didn’t want him to see anything or hear anything. And I was on the phone with my sister-in-law and I said he’s on my porch, call 9-1-1," Mabe said.
She also texted her husband and her daughter - Liam's mother - Amber Shove, to call 9-1-1.
"I'm very glad that he didn’t try to break in or do any damage or take anything," Shove said, "The video surveillance that my mom‘s camera caught - it just showed him standing there...and he actually looked kind of pitiful.
"Part of me honestly feels kind of sorry and compassionate towards him because I don’t know what he’s going through, I don’t know what his story is and I don’t know what has transpired in his life that put him in the position to be so desperate."
Moments after he came to the door - the suspect just walked away. Hours, later, deputies say he broke into another home and robbed a woman at gunpoint, just minutes away from the Mabe's home.
"At first I was thinking the poor guy's running, he's pitiful, he's probably cold, he's probably hungry," Mabe said, "But then to find out that he did have a gun, and if I had opened the door - it could've been really bad."
