Richard O Wells Jr Obituary, Death; – One individual has lost their life following a vehicle, allegedly associated with a string of armed robberies, crashing at a busy intersection in Buckhead on Monday evening. The deceased was an innocent driver from New York, while the suspect has been apprehended.
At around 8:40 p.m. on April 7, DeKalb County Police responded to a robbery at the Chick-fil-A situated in the 600 block of Decatur Village Way, just off U.S. 78. Upon arrival, officers discovered several employees who had been affected by pepper spray. One employee reported that a suspect had stolen a cash drawer from a drive-thru register and fled the scene.
The DeKalb County Police Department indicated that the vehicle involved in the incident had been connected to three prior robberies—two in DeKalb County and one in Sandy Springs—since Sunday morning.
Less than an hour after the Chick-fil-A robbery, Atlanta Police located the suspect’s vehicle and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The driver evaded capture, resulting in a collision at the intersection of Peachtree and Piedmont roads in Buckhead, where the driver reportedly ran a red light and struck another vehicle.
The vehicle ultimately came to a stop facing south on the sidewalk at the southeast corner of the intersection, near a shopping center entrance, with significant damage to the front end.
Authorities reported that a man, whose vehicle was struck during the incident, succumbed to his injuries. He was identified on Tuesday morning as Richard O. Wells Jr., a 26-year-old resident of Highland Mills, New York. The Georgia State Patrol also responded to the crash site, leading to a temporary closure of a section of Piedmont Road while crews conducted their investigation and cleared the wreckage.
The suspect was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. One of the law enforcement agencies involved in the case has identified the robbery suspect as Santario Barnwell.
The agency informed FOX 5 Atlanta that Barnwell is in custody and will face charges across multiple jurisdictions. However, the spokesperson did not clarify whether Barnwell is currently being held at a local hospital or another facility. The investigation is ongoing.
