UPDATED: 7:50 a.m. April 23, 2019
Athens-Clarke County police confirmed an arrest in the armed robberies and shooting that injured a UGA student yesterday.
According to @accpolice Chief Cleveland Spruill, Zarren Garner was arrested in Gwinnett County for two counts of aggravated assault and two counts of armed robbery involving UGA students and he is currently being held at the Athens-Clarke County Jail. He has no bond at this time. pic.twitter.com/P2VJcYGeLb
— Grady Newsource (@GradyNewsource) April 23, 2019
Athens-Clarke County police previously released a sketch of the suspect in the armed robbery cases. One of the robberies resulted in the shooting of a University of Georgia student who remains hospitalized.
Athens-Clarke County police said they responded to calls for two armed robberies just after 7 a.m. to Milledge Place just off of South Milledge Avenue and the 10 Loop.
The first responders on the scene located a 22-year-old male victim and began to administer first aid, according to police. He was transported to a local hospital. Both robbery victims were UGA students.
“We’re asking not only students, but everyone to be vigilant,” said Athens-Clarke County Chief of Police Cleveland Spruill yesterday. “If you see something, say something. We’d rather be called and not needed than needed and not called, so if you see anything out of the ordinary or suspicious, contact the police.”
According to Athens-Clarke County police, the suspect was identified as a black male with dreadlocks or twists in his hair. Police said he was last seen leaving the scene in a white, early-2000 Ford Mustang convertible with a tan roof. The Athens-Clarke County police are working together with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, University Police and Georgia State Patrol.
Officer Involved Shooting – See press Release – https://t.co/na7VIjbtUS
— Athens-Clarke Police Department (@accpolice) April 21, 2019
If you have any information, please contact:
- Lt. Stephen Daniel (Stephen.Daniel@accgov.com or 706-613-3330, ext. 235)
- Sgt. David Norris (David.Norris@accgov.com or 706-613-3330, ext. 556)
This is the fourth violent crime incident in the same area in the last eight days, according to data from CrimeReports.com.
Majesti Bass, Sarah Hammond, Donovan Harris and Vira Halim are senior journalism majors in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.
