A teenager from Austell and a man from Virginia were both arrested Saturday and face multiple charges related to an armed robbery and multi-county car chase that ended with a fiery crash.
Jahsheniqe Celie Letang, 18, was arrested in Houston County along with 22-year-old Da’Von Nigel Cumberbatch, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, after the pair crashed on I-75 South, officials said. The two were checked out by medical personnel at the scene and taken to the Houston County Jail, according to Georgia State Patrol spokeswoman Franka Young.
The incident began with an armed robbery at an AT&T store in Covington, police spokesman Captain Ken Malcom confirmed in an email to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Covington police responded to the call around 9:30 a.m. at the store on Ga. 142.
According to the initial investigation, the suspects were wearing hoodies and facemasks and carrying tasers. They took dozens of cell phones, an iPad and several other office items before leaving the store on foot.
Covington police were able to identify the suspects’ car as a white Hyundai SUV and send an alert to other law enforcement agencies. Around 11 a.m., a GSP trooper spotted the SUV on I-75 South in Houston and attempted a traffic stop. Instead of stopping, the SUV sped away and the trooper followed in pursuit.
After a “brief pursuit” which reached speeds up to 125 mph, the trooper performed a PIT maneuver, crashing the car and ending the chase, Young said. Letang and Cumberbatch were taken into custody, but their SUV caught on fire and was heavily damaged, Young said.
Letang was released from jail on bond Monday, while Cumberbatch remains in jail without bond. Cumberbatch is charged with 13 counts related to the highway chase in Houston, including a felony count of fleeing from police.
Both Letang and Cumberbatch face additional charges out of Newton related to the robbery. Cumberbatch was wanted for a traffic violation in Newton in addition to the robbery charges, Malcom confirmed.
The case remains under investigation, Malcom said.
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