Cobb man charged with robbing woman at gunpoint in Marietta

Melvin Ward is accused of shoving a woman to the ground and snatching her purse during an armed robbery, Marietta police said.

Melvin Ward is accused of shoving a woman to the ground and snatching her purse during an armed robbery, Marietta police said.

A Smyrna man has been charged with robbing a woman at gunpoint in broad daylight outside a popular restaurant in Marietta.

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Melvin Ward, 47, was arrested Wednesday afternoon at an apartment complex in the 800 block of South Cobb Drive.

According to Marietta police, 911 dispatchers informed cops of a man who “knocked a woman to the ground and snatched her purse at gunpoint” around 12:19 p.m. Feb. 27 in the parking lot of Cracker Barrel at 2150 Delk Road.

Marietta police spokesperson officer Chuck McPhilamy said the victim was at the restaurant to meet friends for lunch when she was “confronted” by the gunman.

Dispatchers collected information from witnesses about the suspect, including the direction he fled from the parking lot. With the help of Cobb County police, officers were able to locate and apprehend Ward less than 25 minutes after the alleged crime took place.

Melvin Ward is accused of shoving a woman to the ground and snatching her purse during an armed robbery, Marietta police said.

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Ward was charged with armed robbery with a weapon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and battery visible harm.

He was booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center where he remains held without bond.

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