More than six weeks after a cab driver’s mentally challenged son was shot to death in Marietta, a second suspect was arrested in the case, police said Monday.
James Lee Black, 19, of Marietta, is the alleged gunman in the Feb. 18 killing of Tomas Arriola, who was riding along in his father’s taxi when two customers requested a ride, according to police. After the ride to the St. Augustine apartments, police said Black and the first suspect robbed and assaulted Arriola and his father, who has the same name.
The first suspect in the case, Abdul Malik Griffin, 20, was arrested March 2, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported. Griffin was charged with murder and two counts each of armed robbery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
After his arrest, Griffin identified Black as his co-conspirator, and witnesses confirmed the second man's alleged involvement, according to Black's arrest warrant. Griffin and Black allegedly committed two armed robberies within 13 hours, according to police.
“These co-conspirators used identical patterns of travel, handgun description, final robbery location, seating arrangement and the suspects were even wearing the same distinctive clothing for both robberies (confirmed by video surveillance),” according to Black’s warrant.
Cell phone records and surveillance footage from the hotel where Griffin used his phone to call for the cab linked him to the crime, police said. In the footage, Griffin is wearing a dark track suit jacket with “OBEY” on the front.
“In addition, a Facebook post from January shows said accused wearing an identical hoodie with identical front lettering, “OBEY,” according to Griffin’s warrant.
Black was arrested Saturday in Buffalo, N.Y., by the U.S. Marshals Service and Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, police said. He was charged with murder, two counts of armed robbery and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. He is awaiting extradition to Georgia, police said.
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