FBI: ‘Serial armed robber’ ID’d, was already in jail in Newton County
The FBI has found a man accused of stealing from seven metro Atlanta dollar stores in a nine-day period.
He was already in jail.
Wayne Patterson, 38, of Covington, was arrested Aug. 17 by Covington police after allegedly committing an armed robbery at the discount clothing store Citi Trends, the FBI said Friday in a news release.
After seeing news reports and photos of the unidentified “serial armed robber” Tuesday, Covington police contacted the FBI and said they believe Patterson matches the suspect’s description, the release said.
RELATED: FBI: 'Serial armed robber' targeted 7 dollar stores over 9 days
Patterson has been charged by Covington police for the Citi Trends robbery, and he’s a suspect in seven other armed robberies in Rockdale, Fulton and Clayton counties, the release said.
He faces potential federal charges in all eight robberies, the release said. Each was committed at gunpoint, and the suspect demanded money.
In addition to the Citi Trends robbery, he’s accused of robbing:
- Family Dollar store on Ga. 138 in Conyers on July 20;
- Dollar General store on Lakewood Avenue in southwest Atlanta on July 21;
- Family Dollar on Ga. 138 in Riverdale on July 23;
- Family Dollar on Veterans Memorial Parkway in Mableton on July 24;
- Dollar General on Ga. 138 in Riverdale on July 26;
- Family Dollar on Ga. 138 in Jonesboro on July 27;
- Family Dollar on Tara Boulevard in Jonesboro on July 28.
He remains in the Newton County Jail without bond, according to records.
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About the Author
Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.
