Gwinnett County police have arrested a Snellville man in connection with the shooting death of a pizza-business worker.

Tremaine Washington, 18, is in the Gwinnett jail after being arrested Sunday, Gwinnett police spokesman Cpl. Collin Flynn said. Washington faces charges of felony murder and aggravated assault in connection with the death of Robert Purcell, 40.

Purcell was found in his car Saturday on the Highway 78 westbound exit ramp to Hugh Howell Road in unincorporated Stone Mountain. The victim’s gunshot wound did not appear to be self-inflicted.

Police were called Saturday to the Marco’s Pizza at 3300 Centerville Highway when Purcell’s co-workers noticed that his car, which normally was parked behind the restaurant, was missing. Also, some of Purcell’s belongings were found in the parking lot. Purcell was homeless and living out of the vehicle he was found in, Flynn said.

The victim was last seen Thursday in the parking lot of the business. He was known to sleep in his vehicle on nights before he worked, Flynn said.

Robbery is a possible motive for the incident, which is still under investigation.

About the Author

Keep Reading

There were 425 traffic-related deaths last year in Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties. (Ben Hendren for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Credit: Ben Hendren

Featured

Austin Walters died from an overdose in 2021 after taking a Xanax pill laced with fentanyl, his father said. A new law named after Austin and aimed at preventing deaths from fentanyl has resulted in its first convictions in Georgia, prosecutors said. (Family photo)

Credit: Family photo