Suspect, victim in Chick-fil-A robbery, deadly Buckhead crash identified
Suspect arrested in deadly Chick-fil-A robbery crash
Santario Barnwell was arrested and charged in a deadly crash in Buckhead. State officials say the suspect was trying to escape police when they hit an innocent driver, killing them. The victim was identified as 26-year-old Richard Wells, Jr., of Highland Mills, New York.
ATLANTA - One person is dead after a vehicle reportedly tied to a series of armed robberies crashed at a busy Buckhead intersection on Monday evening.
The person who was killed was an innocent driver in another vehicle from New York. The suspect was placed under arrest.
What we know:
At approximately 8:40 p.m. April 7, DeKalb County Police responded to a robbery at the Chick-fil-A located in the 600 block of Decatur Village Way just off U.S. 78.
Officers arrived to find multiple employees who had been pepper sprayed. One employee told police a suspect had taken a cash drawer from a drive-thru register and fled the scene.
According to the DeKalb County Police Department, the vehicle involved had been linked to three other robberies — two in DeKalb County and one in Sandy Springs — since Sunday morning.
Less than an hour after the Chick-fil-A incident, Atlanta Police located the suspect's vehicle and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. The driver fled, leading to a crash at the intersection of Peachtree and Piedmont roads in the heart of Buckhead when officials say the driver ran a red light and hit another vehicle.
The vehicle came to rest facing south on the sidewalk at the southeast corner of the intersection, near the entrance to a shopping center. The car’s front end was heavily damaged.
Officials say a man, whose car was hit during the incident, died as a result. He was identified on Tuesday morning as Richard O. Wells Jr., a 26-year-old from Highland Mills, New York.
Georgia State Patrol also responded to the crash scene. A section of Piedmont Road was temporarily closed as crews investigated and cleared the debris.
The suspect was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
What they're saying:
"I heard a pretty violent noise," said Chad Sorenson. "I was wondering what it was, and then saw the police cars leaving the station."
Before the Chick-fil-A robbery, Sandy Springs Police say the suspect did the exact same thing Sunday night after ordering fries and water at a McDonald's on Roswell Road.
"When the cashier came up to take the money, the suspect pepper sprayed the victim, the cashier and grabbed the cash drawer and fled the scene," said Sgt. Leon Millholland from Sandy Springs Police.
"We don't often see where pepper spray is used and reach in through the window and grab the cash drawer," Sgt. Millholland continued. "Unusual, but it's happened several times in the metro Atlanta area."
Sandy Springs Police identified the suspect as Santario Barnwell. The agency is one of at least four involved in the case.
After the robbery in Sandy Springs, investigators issued an alert to catch the suspected robber. They said the individual was on video in a stolen grey Volkswagen Jetta.
Investigators say the suspects' car had been used in at least three robberies since Sunday, two in DeBalb County, and one in Sandy Springs.
Chick-fil-A robbery suspect identified
What they're saying:
Santario Barnwell. Courtesy of local law enforcement.
The agency told FOX 5 Atlanta that the suspect is in custody and will face charges in several jurisdictions.
The Source: FOX 5 Atlanta responded to the scene of a crash at the intersection of Piedmont and Peachtree roads. This article has been updated since it was originally published to clarify details about the incident and add information about the victim and suspect that was provided by law enforcement.