Registered Sex-Offender From Hickory Arrested After Car Chase

On Wednesday, Deputies with the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office observed a vehicle displaying a fictitious license plate. Deputies initiated a traffic stop at the intersection of N.C. Highway 127 South and Old Farm Drive. Deputies began pursuing the vehicle after it failed to stop.

The suspect vehicle crashed into a utility pole at the intersection of Old Farm Drive and Valley Field Road. The driver fled on foot before being apprehended by Deputies.

52-year old Paul Edward Ikard Jr of Hickory, is charged with felony fleeing to elude arrest, identity theft, reckless driving and resisting a public officer. Upon his arrest, Ikard was served with outstanding warrants for failure to register as a sex offender, failure to notify law enforcement of address change, interfering with an electronic monitoring device and a parole violation, the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Ikard was convicted in 2003 in Catawba County for indecent liberties with a child. In 2007, he was convicted in Burke County for second-degree rape. Ikard is listed on the North Carolina Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry as an aggravated recidivist.

Photo: Catawba County Sheriff’s Office

The HICKORY DAILY RECORD contributed to this story