Victim Tracks Thieves with Cell Phone

In a series of armed robberies in Gwinnett County and the City of Norcross, officers were able to narrow down the suspects by calling a victim’s cell phone. 

Late in the morning of Dec. 4, Norcross Police met with two Gwinnett Police officers on Brook Hollow Parkway to discuss a taxi driver who said he'd been robbed at gunpoint.

According to the Norcross Police report, the victim said the at 5171 Brook Hollow Parkway. The driver said he originally picked up two males near Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth.

According to the report, when the party arrived at the Red Roof Inn, one of the passengers exited the vehicle. He returned shortly after, poking the victim in the face with a black, large handgun through the car's open window. Because the taxi is an old police car with a shield separating the front seat and the back seat, the other suspect got out of the vehicle to join his accomplice.

The armed suspect demanded money and personal items, to which the victim complied. The suspect took $350 in cash, an iPhone, a BlackBerry, car keys and his wallet, according to the report. He also told the victim to detach his work radio and throw it out the car. 

The victim told police that he was surprised by the suspects’ actions because they appeared to be gentlemen-like.

Around 2 p.m. the same day, Norcross PD arrived at Amberly Drive in unincorporated Norcross to meet with other Gwinnett officers, who said they had located suspects in the case. 

The three possible suspects under investigative detention were narrowed down by a lead the victim provided: He tracked his stolen cell phone to a location on Amberly Drive and told police.

The victim met up with the cops and called his stolen phone while the other officers had the suspects in custody. The phone rang in the presence of the officers, who sent the suspects to Gwinnett County Police headquarters to be questioned.