CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A link on the Channel 2 Action News Facebook page led to the arrest of a man accused of attacking a woman with a frying pan.
Until this weekend, Clayton County police had been looking for the suspect, Rakheem Byrd, who allegedly attacked the victim inside of her own apartment.
A woman who wants to be identified as "Shon" said a link on Channel 2's Facebook page directed her to the story. To her surprise, she realized she knew the man police were looking for and then notified authorities.
Shon said she met Byrd about two months ago at her Griffin apartment complex. She said he'd constantly come around trying to talk with her in private. She said had he caught her alone, she would not be as fortunate as the woman who Byrd allegedly hurt.
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"I was always around someone," she said, telling Channel 2's Tony Thomas that she felt uncomfortable in Byrd's presence. "My vibe just kept telling me, creepy guy, creepy guy," she said.
But police said the Lovejoy woman he targeted wasn't so fortunate.
After giving Byrd her number, they said he showed up at the victim's home unannounced and attacked her. He allegedly hit her with furniture and hit her so hard with an iron skillet that a hole was left in the pan. He allegedly left her for dead before stealing her car.
Thomas spoke to the victim by phone on Wednesday while she recovered at the hospital.
"He tried to tie me up, punching me, kicking me. He tortured me for hours and hours," she said.
Byrd made his first court appearance on Saturday. He was picked up two days earlier, after he allegedly made one too many moves on Shon. Shon said he was trying to talk to her after purposely cutting her off while driving.
"He was in her car, the victim's car," Shon said.
Shon said she didn't realize it was the victim's car until Thursday when she opened the Channel 2 Facebook page and saw Thomas' story.
She called authorities, and a short time later, Byrd was in jail.
Records show Byrd was on probation after getting out earlier this year on aggravated assault charges. He did not enter a plea at his first appearance regarding the latest case, but he did request for a public defender.
WSBTV
