Two teenage males from Atlanta and one from DeKalb County were taken into custody Thursday after a high-speed chase that began at the Fayette Pavilion as a carjacking and ended near downtown Atlanta after the stolen vehicle was disabled.
The three juveniles, one age 14 and the others age 16, were charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault, theft by taking motor vehicle and fleeing and attempting to elude, according to Fayetteville Police Det. Mike Whitlow. The juveniles will be charged as adults and gang charges are also expected to be filed, Whitlow added.
Whitlow said the carjacking victim had exited the Kohl’s department store at the Pavilion when she was rushed by the three teenagers. The woman was told to move away from her vehicle while one of the males pointed a small caliber handgun at her head.
Fayetteville Police at approximately 5:15 p.m. were dispatched to respond to the carjacking. Officers were able to obtain a description of the victim’s vehicle and broadcast it to other agencies. Deputies with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office located the vehicle in north Fayette County and attempted to pull over the vehicle. The driver refused to yield and the pursuit was initiated. The pursuit traveled through several jurisdictions and was ended by the Georgia State Patrol, said Whitlow.
The high-speed chase came to an end after the stolen vehicle was disabled by a Ga. State Patrol trooper on the MLK on-ramp to I-20 West, Whitlow said.
Whitlow said the victim of the armed robbery and carjacking was severely shaken up but was not physically injured.
Whitlow said one Fayette County patrol vehicle was damaged along with the State Patrol vehicle. There were no injuries reported.
Whitlow said the three juveniles are thought to be associated with a gang that has been responsible for a number of carjackings and car thefts in the Atlanta area.
“We are investigating the possibility that they have been involved in some previous car thefts at the Pavilion,” Whitlow added.
