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Written by K Bishop
Published September 7, 2022 @ 7:03 PM ET
Gwinnett County – A suspect was shot by police on September 2 at the Mall of Georgia, in Buford, after stabbing a Macy’s store employee during a robbery.
Jose Reyes-Serrato, 27, of Loganville, smashed jewelry display cases and stole jewelry in the Macy’s located at 3333 Buford Drive, before stabbing a store employee who attempted to stop him.
Gwinnett County police responded to the robbery and stabbing at 11:22 AM on September 2. Police located Reyes-Serrato attempting to flee in a grey pickup truck.
After being rammed by a police cruiser, Reyes-Serrato continued to flee. He was shot by a police officer while running on foot from the vehicle.
Court documents show that Reyes-Serrato has an extensive history of criminal charges in Gwinnett County dating back to 2012 and several more recent arrests from March 2019 through January 2020.
On March 2, 2019, Serrato was arrested for causing criminal damage to property and slamming his sister’s hand in the door of a home he shared with his siblings. Additionally, he was charged with drug-related offenses.
Serrato was arrested again on July 22, 2019, and charged with Criminal Trespass, Family Violence, Obstruction of a Law Enforcement Officer, and drug-related misdemeanors. During that incident, he caused damage to his brother’s vehicle.
A third arrest in Gwinnett County on September 16, 2019, led to Serrato being charged with Felony Theft by Taking, in which he stole a Cadillac Escalade from a car dealership.
Gwinnett County Superior Court records show that Serrato was given a plea deal in May of 2020, which required, in part, that he enter a Drug Treatment program.
The Gwinnett County Police stated in a press release regarding the recent September 2 shooting, “Our officers moved decisively to stop the suspect in that moment because this is a high traffic area and Reyes posed an immediate threat to the safety of the public.”
Both the stabbing victim and Reyes-Serrato are hospitalized.
An arrest warrant was issued for Reyes-Serrato on September 6 for violating his probation. The arrest warrant lists the violations as a failure to obey all laws, specifically committing the following: Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Battery, Armed Robbery, Criminal Damage to Property-2nd, Fleeing/Eluding-Felony, Obstruction-misdemeanor, and Reckless Driving.