A man will spend 25 years in prison for holding two women and a child at gunpoint during a robbery at a Henry County hair salon in 2021, officials said.
Yadley Girard, 31, of Florida, pleaded guilty Monday to charges of armed robbery, aggravated assault, cruelty to children in the third degree, hijacking a motor vehicle, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was sentenced to 40 years, with the first 25 to be spent behind bars, Henry County Assistant District Attorney Megan Matteucci said.
An employee at Preeminence Hair Salon along North Henry Boulevard was taking out the trash and closing the studio for the night with her 5-year-old son when Girard approached them on Sept. 26, 2021. He pointed a gun at the two and demanded that the employee turn over any belongings, according to Matteucci.
A customer heard the employee scream and went to see what was happening. Matteucci said Girard then also pointed the gun at the customer and demanded she hand over her possessions.
“Girard then fled in the customer’s Toyota Camry with her purse, her handgun and other belongings,” Matteucci added.
It didn’t take long for authorities to find Girard. The day after the robbery, he was located in the stolen vehicle at a Walmart in Conyers and was still in possession of the customer’s gun. He was arrested and identified by one of the victims in a photo lineup, officials said.
According to the Florida Department of Corrections, Girard served nearly nine years for armed burglary, armed robbery and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in a 2009 incident. He was released from prison in 2019.
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