The Luverne Police Department (LPD) conducted a manhunt Thursday, searching the wooded area near Woodford Avenue and West 9th Street for a man wanted for warrants in Florida. Just before 9 p.m., the search ended and the man was in custody.

According to Luverne Police Captain Mason Adcock, officers conducted two rounds of searches, using tracking dogs to pursue Giovanni D. Hernandez, 45, a white male, 5-feet-6, weighing approximately 165 pounds.

By 8 p.m., the department had called off the active search. After following a different track than Hernandez was first thought to have followed, Adcock said searchers found that the trail ended.
Then, just before 9 p.m., Hernandez returned to the residence where waiting officers took him into custody.
“We ran a second track,” Adcock said. “We lost it in the area of the bridge on South Woodford Avenue. It was unclear if he was picked up or the track had deteriorated. Then he returned to the residence and was apprehended.”
Adcock said officers arrived at the 400 block of 9th Street Thursday morning and were attempting to serve Hernandez with three warrants – two felonies and one misdemeanor – from Florida when the subject reportedly fled from the residence on foot.

“We attempted to make contact at the residence,” Adcock said. “We had no contact but left an unmarked unit in the area to do surveillance. The unit spotted the make subject we were looking for coming out the back door and going toward the woods.”

The unit called for assistance and LPD set up a perimeter. At the time of this publication, an active manhunt for Hernandez was in progress.

Luverne School and Crenshaw Christian Academy were placed on lock down as a safety precaution.  Luverne PD posted units at each school when students are released.

At the time of the search, residents in the area were cautioned to remain indoors until further information became available.
Adcock extended the department’s gratitude to state and local agencies who assisted with the search.

“We owe special thanks to the Crenshaw County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA)Highway Patrol Division, the Covington County Sheriff’s Office, the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Crenshaw County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) for their support and assistance,” Adcock said.