Since Sept. 15, Lakesha Clark has prayed every night that the man accused of killing her sister, nephew and sister’s godson would be caught. Those prayers were answered Thursday.
“Relief,” Clarke told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It was the best word to describe the feeling that Robert E. Bell was behind bars.
Bell, 34, accused of shooting three people to death and wounding a fourth, was arrested Thursday in New Orleans, according to police.
Bell had eluded capture since Sept. 15, when he allegedly shot the four at a Gwinnett County home. Bell had been staying in the home for about two weeks when he allegedly shot four people during a domestic dispute, but police have not determined a motive in the shootings.
Clark lived about 10 minutes from her sister, but has never met Bell, who was located at a homeless shelter in New Orleans following a short foot pursuit, Gwinnett County police said Thursday afternoon.
“When he was arrested, he did provide a false name, but we are pretty confident that it’s him,” Cpl. Deon Washington said.
Police believe Bell had an assault rifle and was waiting for Angelina Benton, 34, Benton’s 12-year-old son, Joseph McDonald, her 19-year-old godson, Raynard Daniel, and her boyfriend, Justin Cato, to return to Benton’s Snellville-area home after a weekend trip. Benton had recently opened up her home to Bell, according to police.
“He took three lives for no reason, and almost took a fourth,” Clark said.
Police believe Bell then attempted to leave the home in his SUV. But Benton, who had driven the SUV on the trip, was still clutching the keys, according to police. Cato, shot in the leg, was only one to survive the shooting.
Bell ran from the home and allegedly stole a pickup truck about a half-mile away, police previously said. The truck's owner reported the vehicle as stolen Sept. 17, and on Oct. 2, the truck was found in New Orleans.
Bell was booked into the Orleans Parish jail Thursday afternoon, online records show. Gwinnett detectives were on the way to New Orleans late Thursday to interview Bell, who is expected to be extradited to Georgia.
“He is obviously a very dangerous individual and we are happy that he is off the streets,” Washington said.
When Bell does return to Gwinnett, Clark said she plans to be in court to see the alleged killer in person. If given the chance, she has one question for Bell, Clark said.
“The only thing I want to know is why,” she said.
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