Three suspects are in custody, but one remained on the loose Friday afternoon in connection with a carjacking that led to deadly gunfire and a crash in Cherokee County.
Justin Humphries, 19, of Acworth, told investigators he was carjacked Thursday afternoon, pistol-whipped and thrown in the back seat of a late model Dodge Charger, the sheriff’s office said. Humphries was able to walk away when the car crash about a mile away, despite sustaining head injuries, according to police.
But the car’s driver, Andre Rodriguez, 27, of Acworth, died at the scene after being shot in the back, an autopsy confirmed Friday.
Hours after the wreck, the search continued for others believed involved in the carjacking. Three arrests were made overnight.
Jumar Greer, 19, was arrested and charged with armed robbery and Quovadis Arrington, 23, was charged with hindering the apprehension of a wanted person. Greer and Arrington were arrested on I-75 near Jacksboro, Tenn., where they were believed to be traveling to Chicago, the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office on Friday.
Tavarus Arrington, Quovadis’ twin brother, was also arrested and charged with hindering the apprehension of a wanted person and making false statements to a law enforcement officer. He is being held at the Cherokee County jail on a $22,400 bond.
The wreck happened near the 5000 block of Ga. 92, just west of Wade Green Road, Lt. Jay Baker told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. But the crime scene spanned about a mile from where the alleged carjacking occurred and the crash, Baker said.
Investigators believe the men took the vehicle at a nearby apartment complex, Baker said. Humphries was in the backseat with one suspect and the two other suspects were in the front seat of the moving car, he said.
The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office has identified Maurice Perkins, 20, as a third suspect. He is currently being sought on an armed robbery charge.
“According to the victim, one of the suspects was hitting him in the head with a firearm and the gun discharged,” Baker said in an emailed statement. “Moments later, the car left the roadway and struck a tree.”
The car ran off the road, down a ditch and struck a tree near Poplar Valley mobile home park, Baker said. Rodriguez was shot in the back and died at the scene.
A resident of the mobile home park heard the crash and went outside to see what happened. That’s when Jonathan Joyner says he saw a man bleeding in the roadway. Joyner told The AJC the man had a lump on his head, scratches, and a twist tie on one hand, which one of the suspects allegedly had put on the victim.
“I couldn’t do much but offer him a cold rag and my porch,” Joyner said. “He said he was trying to fight back.”
Joyner said the victim told him the suspects had threatened several times to kill him.
The Georgia State Patrol is assisting with the crash investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call 770-928-0239 or 678-493-4080.
— Staff writer Ben Gray and Robert Lee contributed to this report.
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