Third Six Flags Worker Held in Attack

Police have now arrested a third employee of Six Flags Over Georgia for the beating of a teenager outside the theme park last week. Four people are currently being held in the case.

The victim, Joshua Martin, 19, was seriously injured in the attack at a bus stop.

The latest Six Flags worker charged in the attack has not been identified because he is 16 years old. The suspect is from Austell.

Willie Franklin, 17, surrendered Tuesday night, and according to his arrest warrant, he faces some of the most serious charges so far in the case, including a felony count of aggravated battery. Police said Franklin has admitted to being involved in the attack on Martin.

"I know that additional arrests are expected in this case," said Cobb County Police Officer Cassie Reece.

Franklin was the second suspect to be identified as a Six Flags employee. Booking documents said Franklin was one of the first to assault Martin.

In the report, Cobb police wrote, "Accused punched victim with brass knuckles, causing the victim to fall to the ground, and multiple others then punched, kicked and stomped victim."

The documents said Martin is member of a gang called YGL, Young Gangster Living, which adds to the charges against him.

"It is against the law to be in a gang; to be an active member," said Reece. "Basically, there-out, you're committing crimes, and we're trying to stop that."

Franklin's arrest came after Brad Johnson, 18, and a 16-year-old unnamed juvenile were picked up.

Franklin's warrant said, "Accused was identified by Six Flags Security, concerned citizens, and a co-conspirator. Accused also admitted to his part in the crime."

"Each arrest helps lead to another person," Reece said. "They had friends there, they had a brother, a sister or somebody there who can lead us to other people."

Meanwhile, Martin, who woke up and spoke on Tuesday, still faces a long, difficult recovery.

"It was a devastating kind of brain injury," said community activist Derrick Boazman. "They're hopeful because of his age, and because of his level of physicality, that will be helpful. But in the final analysis, it's still touch and go."

Franklin made a first court appearance on Wednesday morning at the Cobb County Jail, where he is being held on $100,000 bond, and police said they expect additional arrests of anywhere from three to 25 people, either as being directly involved in the beating or as witnesses.

Meanwhile, some Cobb County officials and community leaders met with Six Flags officials to talk about security in and around the park.

The meeting at the amusement park included Six Flags corporate officials, the head of Cobb Public Safety, Cobb County Commissioners, and community activists. The meeting lasted nearly two hours.

According to state Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta), the meeting went well for the most part.

"We're deeply disturbed that two of the three persons that were arrested up to this point were Six Flags employees," Fort said. "We're very concerned about that, and we let Six Flags know that we were concerned about that, and we suggested to them very strongly, that they change and reevaluate the process that they go through in hiring."

Both of the suspects identified as Six Flags workers are seasonal employees of the park. Eighty to 90 percent of the employees at the park are seasonal workers. There are about 3,000 of them, and Six Flags officials said they do not do background checks on employees who are under 18 years of age because of state law.

Fort also said Six Flags has increased security outside the park and Six Flags officials said they want to stress nothing like this has ever happened inside the amusement park.