Four people have been arrested in connection with a Hall County home invasion that led to a car chase, crash and boat theft Monday evening near Lake Lanier.
Three more suspects are still at large, Gainesville police Chief Jay Parrish said in a statement.
Gainesville police identified four people arrested and charged with crimes related to the investigation.
Montavious Cooper, 19, of Lithonia, and Jermaine Stephens, 19, of Atlanta, were arrested and each charged with home invasion related to the original call.
Krystal Foster-Simmons, 26, of Decatur, was arrested and charged with being a party to a crime. She was spotted in a GMC SUV by a Georgia State Patrol helicopter and pulled over near the location where Stephens was arrested. Gainesville police officers determined that she was associated with Stephens and had gone to the area to pick him up after hearing about the home invasion.
Austin Owens, 18, of Gainesville, was also arrested and charged with felony possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, among other offenses. During the preliminary investigation at the Spring Valley Apartments where the home invasion occurred, Gainesville police said they connected Owens to the marijuana and a firearm, leading them to charge him with several crimes.
The incident began Monday afternoon when officers responded to a home invasion near the apartments off Thompson Bridge Road, Gainesville police said. The department said gunfire was reported during the invasion, but did not report any injuries.
When police arrived at the apartment complex, they spotted the suspects in a blue Volkswagen Jetta, leading to a brief chase, the department said. The chase ended when the vehicle crashed along Hollywood Avenue near Hollywood Circle.
Five suspects ran away from the wrecked vehicle, including Cooper and Stephens, police said. Cooper was apprehended at the site of the crash. The others stole a boat from a dock in Harbor Cove, according to the department.
Officers were able to later recover the boat near Club Drive, leading to Stephens’ arrest, police said. He was also charged with theft by taking for the stolen boat. Foster-Simmons was arrested shortly after when police say she circled the area looking for Stephens.
The search for the other three suspects is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or contact Gainesville police at 770-534-5252.
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