AKRON, Ohio — Dustin Gardner, 44, has been missing for nearly two weeks now. Investigators said his car and phone were found at Gorge Park, but there’s also a warrant out for his arrest making this what Akron Police are calling a unique situation.
For Rayne Gardner, the past couple of weeks have been a nightmare of the unknown. She reported her son, Dustin Gardner, missing to Akron Police on June 9th.
“He's just laid back and quiet,” said Rayne. “He’s my only child. I have always raised him by myself, and he’s always been here for me.”
She said she hadn’t heard from him since Friday, June 7th.
“For him not to contact me or anybody in the family, it’s just not him,” Rayne added. “It’s just not him.”
However, Akron police said there’s a twist in this missing person case. There was a warrant issued on June 7th for Gardner's arrest for assault and damaging or endangering charges. Not knowing about the warrant, Rayne reported him missing two days later.
“A young lady reports that her car was struck twice in the series of the same incident,” said Captain Michael Miller, Public Information Office for the Akron Police Department. “She reports that she was followed and that someone made deliberate contact with her car.”
Police said the victim, Johanna Garrett, identified the driver as her co-worker, Dustin Gardner.
“This is the imprint of the license plate from when he rammed me,” said Garrett. “That’s when I looked in my mirror, like, what the hell? And it was Dustin and that’s when Dustin comes and runs his whole car up on the ride of my car.”
Garrett said she and Gardner had issues at work but is in shock it boiled to this.
“He could have taken my life," Garrett said.
Garrett reported the incident to police and gave them security camera footage of the crash.
“There was an active search and a process to look for him on the day that the incident was reported,” Miller added.
Miller said Akron police did not post any information about an active search warrant for Gardner because he is currently facing misdemeanor charges.
“It depends on the level of warrants,” Miller said. “So, I know felony warrants, burglaries, things of that nature we would on a routine basis.”
Rayne said she’s in the dark about all of it.
“I just want him to come home,” said Rayne. “No matter what’s going on, we can deal with it. I knew nothing about it. It doesn’t sound like my kid.”
Akron police and Dustin's mother ask if you see him to give them a call at (330) 375-2552. As for the legal actions that are pending, police said once Gardner is found, then the Summit County Prosecutor's office will proceed with any further litigation.
