A felon is wanted on 21 charges after being accused of raping a sex trafficking victim in an SUV before fleeing Smyrna police at about 100 mph, crashing into a van and leaving the scene.
According to a lengthy warrant, Alfred Antwan Armstead of Marietta was identified as the prime suspect in the April 24 crash, which left two of his passengers — including the alleged rape victim — with serious injuries.
The incident began just after 8 a.m. when someone called 911 to report a suspicious person near a mixed-use development off Belmont Park Drive, AJC.com previously reported.
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Armstead and two women were inside a parked Jeep Renegade at that location, according to the warrant. He’s accused of punching and slapping one of the women four times while raping her. In addition, he allegedly pulled out a lighter and tried to light her hair on fire.
When police arrived, Armstead sped away from the scene with the two women still inside the SUV, the warrant said. The Jeep struck one of the patrol vehicles during the attempted getaway, breaking off a side mirror, police said.
A high-speed chase ensued, reaching speeds between 95 and 100 mph, according to the warrant. At one point, the Jeep traveled on the wrong side of Windy Hill Road.
Armstead is accused of running a red light at the intersection of Windy Hill Road and South Cobb Drive, hitting a Chevrolet van that was making a left turn.
Armstead ran away from the wrecked Jeep, leaving the women inside, the warrant said. One had to have an emergency operation to fix a broken left femur and also suffered a fractured wrist and forearm. The other woman had forehead, left wrist and forearm injuries.
The crash shut down Windy Hill Road at South Cobb Drive for more than an hour as police investigated.
Officers said they found two handguns, one of which had been stolen, inside the wrecked Jeep. The warrant said they were a Taurus 709 Slim 9 mm handgun and a Glock 23 .40-caliber handgun with an extended magazine.
In addition, police found nearly five ounces of marijuana, 83 pills of ecstasy, a digital scale and several plastic baggies in the vehicle, the warrant said.
Credit: Smyrna Police Department
Credit: Smyrna Police Department
Of the 21 charges in the warrant, 14 are felonies. Those include counts of rape, sex trafficking, hit-and-run, fleeing police, serious injury by vehicle, aggravated battery, theft by receiving, drug-related charges and firearm possession charges. The misdemeanors mostly consist of driving citations.
Armstead has spent about two years in state prisons, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections. Since 2015, he’s served two stints for charges including obstruction, entering automobiles and drug possession in Cobb County.
Credit: Georgia Department of Corrections
Credit: Georgia Department of Corrections
Anyone with information on Armstead is asked to contact Smyrna police at 770-434-9481.
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