Marietta armed robbery suspect remains at large, police say

The man is accused of robbing Mexican restaurant El Ranchero on Cobb Parkway.

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

The man is accused of robbing Mexican restaurant El Ranchero on Cobb Parkway.

Kennesaw State University’s Marietta campus was placed on lockdown Tuesday night while police searched for an armed robbery suspect in the area.

The suspect was not located, Marietta police spokesman Officer Chuck McPhilamy told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The man is accused of robbing Mexican restaurant El Ranchero at 562 Cobb Parkway around 9 p.m., McPhilamy said.

According to the initial investigation, a man pointed a handgun at a waiter and demanded money. The waiter handed over an undetermined amount of cash and the man fled the restaurant, which backs up to KSU’s Marietta campus.

No shots were fired and no serious injuries were reported, McPhilamy said.

The university shared a tweet alerting its followers just after 9:10 p.m. Tuesday.

“KSU did the right thing being cautious,” McPhilamy said.

Cobb County police officers and sheriff’s deputies were in the area for other reasons, McPhilamy added, so multiple jurisdictions worked to locate the suspect, including KSU police.

The search was called off around 10:30 p.m. and an investigation was opened, McPhilamy said. Police have not released further information, including a description or other identifying information about the suspect.

— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.