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'I just had a hunch' | Residents helped alert police to suspect in Cobb County neighborhood

Christy Colwell said she had a hunch the suspect wanted in connection with shooting five women in Midtown Atlanta-- was hiding in her community. She was right.

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The manhunt for 24-year-old Deion Patterson ended in Cobb County and put many people who live in that area on edge. 

The seven-hour search for the suspect wanted in connection with shooting five women in Midtown Atlanta and carjacking a truck finally came to an end at Waterford Place on Killarney Southeast. That's just about two miles away from Truist Park, where flock cameras captured the alleged carjacked vehicle around 12:30 p.m. 

The scene wasn't what those who live in the quiet community were expecting on what started as a typical Wednesday evening. Finding Patterson all started when Waterford Place resident Christy Colwell had a hunch he may be hiding in her complex since it's rural, hilly, and wooded. 

“It’s very scary. Very unsettling," Colwell said. 

Colwell approached a Cobb County Police officer with her feeling the suspect may be in the area.

“They were not catching him at all, and I just had a hunch," Colwell said "We have a property here where we have a pool area with showers where they could get in there and hide, and I thought they might be hiding out until it got dark.”

Colwell and her neighbor, Debra Sansavieri, started walking away from the officer when chaos erupted. 

“We walk up there with the dogs, and we tell them. He’s like, ‘Thank you.’ We walk back, and he starts running, ‘Get your dogs!! Get on the grass!’ and we’re like, ‘Oh my God!'" Sansavieri said. 

People who live at Waterford Place can't believe their quiet community is where the manhunt ended. Many people in the complex don't think they'll be able to sleep with all the adrenaline pumping through their system, but they are thankful they can go back into their homes feeling safe.

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