The following was taken from a press release distributed by the Marietta Police Department on February 7, 2024:
COBB COUNTY, Ga. – Three adults and two teenagers attempted to bring a crime spree from Dekalb County into Cobb County on Sunday, January 14th. The crew arrived in the city of Marietta in what would later be determined to be a stolen vehicle out of Dekalb.
At approximately 5:08 AM, they forced entry into, and damaged (8) vehicles parked at German Auto Repairs, 1540 Roswell Road. They left the first crime scene, and at approximately 5:26 AM, they confronted two people at the entrance to a Motel parking lot at 2360 Delk Road.
The victim driver, forty-three-year-old Garrett Osteen of Marietta, was dropping off a friend, fifty-two-year-old Willie Ruffin of Marietta, at the motel he was staying at. The crew approached the victim’s vehicle and pointed handguns at the two victims, demanding their money.
Ruffin attempted to exit the car quickly while Osteen attempted to drive away from the suspects. Multiple members of the crew opened fire, striking Osteen’s vehicle (14) times as he was driving away.
One of the bullets penetrated the car and struck Osteen in the head, miraculously not penetrating his skull.
Our officers and detectives began their investigation based on witness statements and evidence collected. Their work led to identifying multiple other criminal acts in other jurisdictions.
The five suspects were identified thanks to coordinated efforts from multiple metro Atlanta law enforcement agencies. Three adults and one juvenile are now in custody, with one juvenile still outstanding.
Nineteen-year-old Giovanni Bown of Lithonia and nineteen-year-old Alijah Carter of Decatur were arrested last week, each face (12) separate felony charges for their actions here in our city. Seventeen-year-old Khalil Lloyd of Atlanta was arrested earlier today by the Dekalb County Police Department.
Lloyd also faces (12) felony charges for his actions here in Marietta. One juvenile, the fifth member of the crew, is still outstanding. Both of the juveniles are facing the same corresponding charges in juvenile court.
If not for the seamless cooperation between agencies, these individuals may still be committing acts of violence across metro Atlanta.
The charges from Marietta Police are on warrants 24-W-1025, 1026, and 1027 and are as follows: Felony Attempted Armed Robbery (x2), Felony Aggravated Assault Weapon (x2), Felony Criminal Damage to Property (x8). Additional charges from other agencies will be taken by their corresponding detectives.