Law enforcement located the third suspect accused in the armed robbery of a Fayetteville restaurant. But the 27-year-old killed himself before he could be taken into custody Tuesday, according to police.
Leandro Bernard Johnson, 27, of Ellenwood, barricaded himself inside a closet in a Rockdale County apartment and allegedly shot himself, police said. At the time of his death, Johnson was on parole after his release from prison in May following an aggravated assault conviction in Clayton County, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections.
Johnson had eluded capture since Oct. 11, when he and and another suspect allegedly entered the back door of the China Café in Fayetteville and held three restaurant employees at gunpoint. A third suspect served as the getaway driver, according to police.
Investigators believe Johnson and Alonzo Starks, 25, of Morrow, entered the restaurant with guns, but an employee also had a gun and shot Starks in the face. Johnson then allegedly fired back, striking and critically injuring the employee, police said.
Three days later, the alleged getaway driver, Alvin James Scott, 26, was arrested at his Jonesboro home by Fayetteville police. Investigators then received information leading them to an abandoned home in Morrow, where Starks’ body was found.
On Monday, the car believed to have been used in the armed robbery was located in Athens, the Athens Banner-Herald reported.
Scott remained in the Fayette County jail Tuesday night, where he was being held without bond. He faces more than 20 charges, including murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, and armed robbery, jail records show.
Several police agencies have assisted with the investigation.
About the Author
