Armed suspect strikes twice at Douglasville shopping center, $10k reward offered
DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. - Douglasville police are offering a $10,000 reward to catch a violent armed robbery suspect who has struck twice at the same shopping center in recent weeks.
Police tell FOX 5 the gunman assaulted multiple store employees during his last robbery and they're trying to catch him before he strikes again.
$10,000 REWARD OFFERED IN DOUGLASVILLE ARMED KROGER ROBBERY
Douglasville Police say the suspect slipped into the Kroger on Chapel Hill Road after hours, robbed store employees at gunpoint, and kidnapped one of them. It's the second area business he's targeted in recent weeks.
Officials shared surveillance images of the man they say entered the Kroger at around 2 a.m. on Dec. 10 armed with a black semiautomatic handgun.
"He gathered up all the employees and did take them to the back of the store. He did assault a couple of employees during the robbery. He eventually forced one of them to take him to Atlanta," Major J.R. Davidson said.
Investigators say the gunman is the same suspect who held up the Papa Johns in the same shopping center on Nov. 22.
"Some of his actions in both robberies match so we believe its the same individual even though we can't see his face," Davidson said.
The suspect is described as a black male, between 5’ 7" and 5’ 10" tall, armed with a black semi-auto handgun. In the surveillance footage, he is covering his face with a blue bandana and a face mask with only his eyes visible.
"We really want to try and stop this individual before he does something else," Davidson said.
The whole thing shocking for Glenn Appleberry and others who frequent the shopping complex and have never worried about falling victim to a crime.
"I come through here every now and then, and you wouldn't think anything like that would happen. It's unbelievable," he said.
Police are hoping that the $10,000 reward will lead to an arrest in the case.
If you have any information that could help with the investigation, please contact detectives at 678-293-1725 or by calling 770-920-3010.