ATLANTA — They were armed and violent teenagers on a four-day crime spree led by a 21 year old; that’s how Atlanta Police describe the suspects they just arrested.
Police said the four young people were armed for four days and drove around looking for people to rob at random. They ended up attacking 11 people, according to APD
The arrests are welcome news to victims of other violent crimes in Atlanta who are hoping police solve theirs, too.
In the arrests announced Wednesday, police said the teens and their 21-year-old leader would attack people they saw just walking in Atlanta, at night, some with friends, and pull guns on them.
“They were brazen,” said Atlanta Police Sgt. Rodney Jones.
Sgt. Jones said that between Thursday, July 8 and Monday, July 12, the four young people targeted people in the Buckhead, Virginia Highland and Morningside neighborhoods of northeast Atlanta.
“It was done at random,” Jones said, “and when the crime presented itself, they took advantage.”
Atlanta Police arrested three of the four suspects on Monday—two males, ages 21 and 16, and one 16-year-old female. Police have arrests warrants for the fourth suspect, a 15-year-old male.
Jones said that during their four-day crime spree they attacked and robbed 11 people and stole two cars.
“We recovered multiple guns” during the arrests, Jones said, and investigators are looking for any possible links to gangs, and to additional crimes.
The arrests are welcome news to victims of other violent crimes, whose cases are not solved, yet.
Nick Fowler, of Atlanta, described on Wednesday how two gunmen rushed at him as he was getting out of his car in front of his home Sunday night.
“’Yo, yo, yo, get out of the car, give me your keys, give me your phone give me your wallet,’” Fowler recalled them shouting at him.
The gunmen have not been caught.
Fowler had just withdrawn cash from an ATM in Morningside in northeast Atlanta, the Chase Bank ATM on Piedmont Ave. near Monroe Dr., about a mile and a half from his home; he was preparing for a business trip the next day. It was about 10:15 p.m.
Fowler now believes the gunmen were in the bank parking lot, saw him at the ATM, and followed him home for his cash and his Honda Civic.
As soon as he parked at home on the street in front, and was getting out, he said they parked his car next to his, and each jumped at him.
“They made me turn around and put my hands up and upon turning around he said. 'don’t turn around or I’ll kill you.'”
Fowler was not able to see them well enough for a detailed description; they wore COVID masks, he thinks they were in their 20s, he noted they were both thin and they were driving a silver sedan with a Florida plate.
And Fowler said when they sped away, the one who was driving Fowler’s car collided with a parked car nearby, then kept on going.
So far in 2021, in Atlanta, according to Atlanta Police Department records, aggravated assaults are up 22 percent compared with the same period last year; auto thefts are up 29 percent.
Arrests for aggravated assault are down 13 percent; arrests for car thefts are up 25 percent.
Nick Fowler lives just outside the Atlanta city limits, so DeKalb County Police are investigating his case.
A metro-wide spree of violent crime.
“I don’t know what has been the genesis of people becoming so violent lately, especially with weapons,” Fowler said. "But, you know, just hoping for the sake of myself and the rest of my community that we can get through this and figure out a way through it.... And it just takes a little sense of security away from you that you kind of take for granted.”