Gastonia police: Suspect wanted in motorcycle theft found in hospital ceiling

Police officer on Sunday said they found a suspect wanted for stealing motorcycles in the roof of a hospital in Gastonia.

According to the Gastonia Police Department, officers said a Flock camera alerted them to two stolen motorcycles shortly after noon in the area of Armstrong Park Road. Officers said they found the motorcycles at the intersection of New Hope Road and East Franaklin Boulevard, but both drivers took off.

Police later found the motorcycles wrecked and abandoned at a dead end on Melvin Drive just east of New Hope Road.

A K-9 officer then began searching for both drivers, finding one suspect, 20-year-old Payton Beatty in bushes near the crash scene.

The K-9 unit then tracked the second suspect, 27-year-old Christopher Adam Hooper, to CaroMont Regional Medical Center. After searching the building, officers found Hooper hiding in a dropdown ceiling of the hospital.

Police officers thanked Gaston County Police and CaroMont Regional Medical Center staff and security officers for their help in the search for Hooper and Beatty.