Neighbors relieved after man wanted in string of crimes is arrested

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The man wanted for a string of violent crimes in metro Atlanta is now in jail.

Police sent Channel 2's Rikki Klaus the booking photo for Corey Griffin.

Griffin is accused of home invasions and sexual assault.

After police arrested him on Sunday, a number of Clarkston residents breathed a sigh of relief.

“Everybody will sleep better,” said a neighbor named who wished to identify only as Kenyon.

Officers said that, in May, 48-year-old, who is wanted for several crimes, beat two women in their Market Street home and sexually assaulted one of them. Last week, a detective told us the Geogia Bureau of Investigation fast-tracked DNA testing.

But investigators said the threat is now over, after a tip during a 911 call led them to Griffin in Atlanta.

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Kenyon bought a security system immediately after the attack.

“It was right behind my house.That’s so traumatic. What they’re going through is a nightmare,” Kenyon said.

Another neighbor, who did not want to be identified, said she spotted a victim’s purse in her yard after the brutal beating and alerted police.

“At some point while I was still there, he ran through the backyard, jumping one side of the fence. I was horrified and frightened for my own safety,” the neighbor said.

Police said the surveillance video shows Griffin in a nearby garage. Officers said he's linked to at least two similar crimes in Stone Mountain. They said in one, he choked someone, punched them and spray-painted their face. Police said he had about 17 outstanding warrants when he was arrested.

The warrants included rape, home invasion and stalking.

The investigations are not over.

Police said Griffin may also be connected with numerous other crimes in Stone Mountain and Clarkston.

Cox Media Group