A man accused of breaking into a woman's Gwinnett County apartment and then sexually assaulting her was taken into custody Wednesday after a standoff involving a SWAT team. Investigators now want to find out if the same suspect is responsible for other crimes.
A Norcross police officer was dispatched to the Woodchase Apartments off Brook Hollow Parkway shortly after 9:30 a.m. following a call about a person screaming, Chief Warren Summers said in a press release Wednesday afternoon.
When Officer Chris Massey arrived, he was confronted by a knife-wielding man wearing a blood-stained T-shirt leaving an apartment, Summers said. An injured woman also ran from the apartment, police said.
But rather than be stopped by officers, the man, later identified as Larry Anthony Davis, ran back into the apartment and locked the door, Summers said. Norcross officers evacuated other nearby apartments and called in the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office SWAT team, along with a negotiator from the Lawrenceville Police Department who began communicating with Davis, according to police.
"That conversation provided law enforcement with insight into the suspect’s mental condition and that it was potentially deteriorating," Summers said.
Officers then deployed pepper spray into the apartment and Davis surrendered without incident, police said. He has been charged with aggravated sexual battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and possession of weapon during the commission of a felony, according to police.
Davis was booked into the Gwinnett County Jail, where he was being held late Wednesday afternoon without bond, booking records show.
Investigators believe Davis knocked on the victim's door and said he was a maintenance man before forcing his way into the apartment, carrying a knife with brass knuckle handles, police said.
Davis may have been in the area of the Woodchase Apartments for several days and may have been staying in nearby woods, police said. Among items belonging to Davis, police found a black ski mask.
Norcross police have distributed information regarding the arrest to other police departments to determine whether Davis is suspected in any other crimes, Summers said.
In a separate incident, Gwinnett County police are investigating a rape reported March 18 at an apartment complex about five miles away. Investigators have not yet determined if the two cases are linked.
About the Author
