A man kidnapped a couple and forced them to drive him to the interstate after taking multiple items from their Coweta County home Friday, officials said.
Michael Butler, who fled out of state after the alleged robbery and kidnapping, was arrested in Alabama, the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office said. He is facing charges of home invasion, aggravated assault, armed robbery, kidnapping and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
A man and a woman were outside their home along Waterworks Road when Butler pulled into the driveway and forced the couple back inside at gunpoint, officials said. Once inside, Butler forced the woman to tie up the man and took several items from the home, according to the sheriff’s office. The stolen items were then loaded into the victims’ vehicle.
According to authorities, Butler then forced the couple into their vehicle and had them drive him toward I-85.
“On the way to the interstate, the female convinced Butler to let them pull over into a gas station parking lot so they could secure some of the items in the car,” the sheriff’s office said. “The female exited the vehicle under the guise of securing the stolen items and ran inside the gas station, where she called Coweta County E-911.”
The robber then drove back to the couple’s home with the man still tied up in the passenger seat, officials said. Back at the residence, authorities said Butler tried to shoot the man at least three times, but the gun malfunctioned.
Officials said Butler instead beat the man with the firearm before leaving the scene in the vehicle he drove to the home.
Before getting to Coweta County, the sheriff’s office said they believe Butler was in Fulton County, where he allegedly committed multiple crimes. Authorities also said they believe Butler committed crimes in Alabama. The sheriff’s office said additional charges are pending as multiple jurisdictions investigate incidents to which he has been linked.
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