Friday, May 18, 2012
Gwinnett County police need the public’s help locating Rufus Jerome Smith, suspected in eight armed robberies.
Rufus Jerome Smith is wanted for aggravated assault, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, according to Gwinnett Police public information officer Cpl. Jake Smith. Smith, 25, is believed to be responsible for eight armed robberies in Gwinnett County. He has primarily targeted gas stations and convenience stores in the northern part of the county (near Buford and Suwanee). He is about 6 feet tall and about 180 pounds (a mug shot of Smith is attached to this article). He has a tattoo of the word “MAN” on his right shoulder. Smith fired shots from a handgun during two of these robberies; however, no one was injured. He should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone encountering Smith should call …
Thursday, April 12, 2012
A teenager trying to sell a cell phone on Facebook was lured to an empty Lilburn residence, robbed and beaten.
A teenager hoping to sell his cell phone was lured to an empty Lilburn residence recently by the would-be buyer, only to be beaten with a bat and robbed, according to a Gwinnett County Police report. The 17-year-old told police he had advertised his cell phone on his Facebook page. A former high school acquaintance expressed interest, the victim said; the buyer told him to drive to an address at Brookwood Landing. The victim's cousin drove him to the house, parking several hundred yards away, as the buyer had instructed. When the victim walked into the house, he was struck by a bat several times on his head and back, he told police, and as he fell, someone with a gun told him "Don't move or I'll blow your (expletive) brains out." Before …
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Hugh Sturgeon and Rene Lepf were commended by the Lilburn police chief for their role in catching a robbery suspect.
Hugh Sturgeon stopped into Just Smoke on Lawrenceville Highway one day last month, as he often does. The man who usually serves him wasn't there, but instead, there was a man with a mask. "Where's Kevin?" Sturgeon asked, according to Lilburn Police Chief Bruce Hedley. The man with the mask said he was in the back. Then, the masked man took off. Realizing he'd probably just interrupted a robbery, Sturgeon took off after him, and he was joined by Rene Lepf. Sturgeon was able to alert police to the suspect's whereabouts, and Lilburn police found the suspect only a few hundred yards from the store, Hedley said. Hedley presented Sturgeon with a certificate of commendation at Monday night's city council meeting for the heroic act. Lepf was also …
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Police are looking for a man who reportedly robbed 13 businesses at gun point.
Gwinnett County Police need your help in finding the man in this video. GCPD Cpl. Jake Smith says he's responsible for 13 armed robberies in Gwinnett County. Police were first called to Appliance Solutions on Buford Hwy in Doraville on November 30th, 2011. The most recent incident was at the Boost Mobile at 575 W. Pike St. in Lawrenceville on January 10th. "Typically in these armed robbery series we see escalating violence. Not all the time, but frequently we do see that. So it is a concern in this case," said Smith The suspect made off with $400 to $1,000 in almost every instance said Smith. GCPD has obtained surveillance video from the first and last video of the suspect during the robberies. The suspect is described as a light-skinned …
"Armed and dangerous" suspect sought in 13 Gwinnett County robberies that began on Nov. 30.
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Thursday, January 12, 2012
Gwinnett County Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man believed to be responsible for 13 armed robberies within Gwinnett County, including Lilburn. According to police, the suspect has primarily targeted cell phone stores but has also robbed two appliance stores, a tobacco shop, and attempted a robbery at a Days Inn. Five of the robberies have occurred within city jurisdictions. Lilburn Police, Norcross Police and Lawrenceville Police are investigating those incidents. The first robbery took place on Nov. 30. Frequently, the suspect visits the target location prior to the robbery posing as a customer. The suspect returns later to commit the armed robbery. On multiple occasions, he has been seen fleeing the scene in a …
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
A Pizza Hut delivery man was robbed last week during the last order of his route, says police report.
A Pizza Hut delivery man was allegedly robbed last week during the last order of his route. According to the Gwinnett County police report, the man was delivering pizzas on the late evening of Nov. 28 in unincorporated Norcross. He was a 63-year-old working at the Pizza Hut on 6050 Singleton Road. He arrived at his last location, Indian Trail Apartments at 1100 Indian Trail Lilburn Road, to make a delivery to a woman in the 2100 building. As he walked to the building with the order, he told police, he approached a black female sitting on the stairs. Taking the food and drinks, she told him she made an order for Coke instead of Pepsi, which he had brought. She then produced a small silver handgun, pointed it at the victim, and demanded his…
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Inside the Police Reports: The Domino's Pizza on Indian Trail was robbed last weekend.
Around 12:50 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 25, an employee at the Domino's Pizza at 529 Indian Trail Road reported that a black male entered the restaurant and robbed the establishment. The employee said the man started to place an order for an ordinary pepperoni pizza. According to the Lilburn police report, the man kept making comments on how it looked dead, and he asked the employee if he was the only one there. He then told the employee to give him the money in the register, and the employee complied. Just like the robber demanded, the pizza man placed the money on the counter, and, after placing a hand on the black handgun on his hip, the suspect told him to get the rest of the money. The employee got the rest of the money that had not gone …
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
The man is suspected of robbing Bank of America branch in Lawrenceville area.
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Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Updated: 4:10 p.m. A man suspected of robbing a Suwanee-area bank Tuesday and shot by Gwinnett Police after a chase that ended in a shootout in unincorporated Duluth died of his injuries after being transported to the hospital. Police say the man is alleged to have robbed a Bank of America branch on Old Peachtree Road at Sever Road. The police investigation revealed that a black male entered the Bank of America branch, displayed a handgun and robbed the bank of an undisclosed amount of money, according to an emailed press release from Gwinnett Police containing details. The suspect then left in a tan colored Honda. A description of the suspect and vehicle was broadcast to all officers. A Gwinnett police officer spotted the suspect and his …
Friday, September 16, 2011
Two robberies occurred earlier this month in unincorporated Norcross; another happened in Snellville this week.
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Friday, September 16, 2011
Gwinnett Police have released surveillance photos of the men suspected in a string of robberies at Metro PCS stores, including two in unincoporated Norcross earlier this month and a third this week in Snellville. Gwinnett Police spokesman Cpl. Jake Smith said via email that photos taken during robberies on Sept. 1 at the Metro PCS store at 4142 Jimmy Carter Boulevard and Sept. 7 at the store at 5014 Singleton Road are believed to be of the same two black men. “It is likely that these suspects are responsible for more armed robberies of Metro PCS stores in other metro Atlanta jurisdictions,” Smith said in the email, including one this week in Snellville. Smith said both Norcross robberies had similarities. Two men entered the stores. One …
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Inside the Police Reports: A man reported that his money was stolen while at the gas station.
A man reported $125 was stolen right out of his hand while at the gas station last week. Reported at the Shell station on the 4000 block of Stone Mountain Highway, the incident was said to have taken place around 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19. The man, a 21-year-old Decatur resident, told Gwinnett Police the incident occurred after he had paid for his gas. As he walked out of the door with cash in his hand, a man standing by a black sedan next to the entrance punched the victim in the face and took the money, according to the police report. The suspect didn't say a word. The suspect then jumped into the sedan, which was filled with two other males. According to the report, the vehicle drove off in the parking lot, but the victim caught up …
