UPDATE – 7:15 p.m.: The name of the deceased homeowner and the names of the two men in custody have been released by the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.
The deceased homeowner was identified as 74-year-old Albert E. DeMagnus.
DeMagnus is listed on the Ga. Secretary of State website as the CEO, CFO and Secretary of Computer Management Services, Inc. (CMS), a Maryland corporation. CMS is an Information Technology augmentation firm providing services to Fortune 500 Companies, the federal government, and state and local agencies, according to CMS.
The men in custody in the home invasion are Jeffrey Lee Wallace, 22, of Atlanta, and Kavion Wyzeenski Tookes, 21, of Decatur.
UPDATE – 3 p.m.: Two men are in custody and a third is being sought in connection to a home invasion in south Fayette County early Friday morning and the resulting death of the 74-year-old male homeowner. Sheriff Barry Babb held an early afternoon press conference to update a number of the circumstances of the crime.
Babb said deputies at approximately 2:30 a.m. on June 23 responded to a “shot person” call at a residence on Lake Horton Landing Drive off Brooks Woolsey Road in south Fayette.
Deputies arrived and found the male homeowner, age 74, with an apparent stab wound. The man, whose name has not been released, was transported to Piedmont Fayette Hospital where he was pronounced deceased, Babb said.
Babb said the victim’s wife woke to a disturbance in the home, thinking the noise came from a television. But it was the attack on her husband and the struggle that was occurring that the woman witnessed, said Babb, adding that the woman saw three black males in the residence and her husband suffering from a stab wound.
“It was a violent intrusion and it was traumatic for the wife,” Babb said.
The home invaders, who Babb said were likely in their 20s, were demanding jewelry and money, Babb said, adding that it is not known at this time what was taken from the home.
Babb said two of the men stole the homeowner’s gray Lexus, at which point the victim’s wife called 911. The third home invader apparently left the scene of the home invasion in an unknown vehicle that arrived at the home prior to the crime.
A BOLO (be on the lookout) was issued and the vehicle was spotted by a deputy in south Fayette in close proximity to the home where the incident occurred.
The deputy passed the stolen vehicle which was traveling at a high rate of speed and began the pursuit, Babb said, adding that the suspect’s attempt to elude the deputy resulted in the Lexus traveling at speeds of 130 miles per hour.
The stolen vehicle crashed in the area of Jimmie Mayfield Boulevard and Bradley Drive in Fayetteville and the two men fled on foot, said Babb, noting that a firearm was recovered from the vehicle.
Sheriff’s deputies and officers with the Fayetteville Police Department set up a large perimeter and relied on K-9 units to track the two men, Babb said.
Babb said one of the two men, was located a quarter-mile from the crash site at 4:41 a.m., while the second man was located on Ga. Highway 92 South around daybreak and taken into custody.
Elaborating on the capture of the first man, Babb said a patrol officer stationed at a checkpoint was told by a Lyft driver that she was in route to a location inside the perimeter to pick up a fare.
The driver had a silver Chevy sedan that looked like Babb’s vehicle. In a move Babb referred to as a “Trojan Horse,” the sheriff and three officers took his car and proceeded to the location on Lake Circle Drive a short distance away.
Officers exited the vehicle when the suspect was spotted. He ran into the wood line approximately 100 yards away, but could not escape the reach of deputies who quickly took the man into custody.
Babb said that as of early Friday afternoon the third man is being sought.
“We’re confident that the case is progressing and that we will find the third person,” said Babb.
Babb said there are aspects of the case that cannot be divulged at this time due to the nature of the ongoing investigation.
Babb noted that the situation remains fluid, adding that investigators continue to gather facts pertaining to the case.
UPDATE – 11:40 a.m.: The third person involved in the home invasion did not flee on-foot after the stolen vehicle crashed in Fayetteville. That person apparently left the scene of the home invasion in the vehicle that arrived at the home prior to the crime.
Original story: Two men are in custody and a third is being sought in connection to a home invasion in south Fayette County early Friday morning that resulted in the death of the male homeowner.
Sheriff Barry Babb said deputies at approximately 2:30 a.m. responded to a “shot person” call at a residence on Lake Horton Landing Drive off Brooks Woolsey Road in south Fayette.
Deputies arrived and found the male homeowner with an apparent stab wound. The man, whose name has not been released, was transported to Piedmont Fayette Hospital where he was pronounced deceased, Babb said.
Babb said the victim’s wife woke to a disturbance in the home, and saw three black males in the residence and her husband suffering from a stab wound.
The home invaders were demanding jewelry and money, Babb said, adding that it is not known at this time what was taken from the home.
Babb said the men stole the homeowner’s gray Lexus, at which point the victim’s wife called 911.
A BOLO (be on the lookout) was issued and the vehicle was spotted by a deputy in south Fayette in close proximity to the home where the incident occurred.
The stolen vehicle crashed in the area of Jimmie Mayfield Boulevard and Bradley Drive in Fayetteville and the three men fled on foot, said Babb.
Sheriff’s deputies and officers with the Fayetteville Police Department set up a perimeter and subsequently located two of the men and took them into custody separately, Babb said.
Babb said that, as of 8 a.m. Friday morning, the third man is being sought.
