CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A 20-year-old Canton man who “terrified victims” with a Halloween mask as a teenager pled guilty to multiple charges, including an armed robbery at a gas station, and was banned from Cherokee County.
Brayden Nicholas Kirby wore a “sinister-looking Halloween mask” and pointed a gun at two women at a Canton RaceTrac around 2 a.m. on Sept. 14, 2021, according to the office of Cherokee County District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway.
The DA’s office said Kirby demanded the women give him their phones and the keys to the truck they were driving, as well as keys to another vehicle.
After he got the keys, the Cherokee County DA’s office said Kirby got in the truck and tried to put it in gear, but could not, so he stole a backpack from it and rode away on a bicycle.
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Using location tracking technology, officers were able to track the stolen cell phones and found Kirby on Riverstone Parkway on the I-575 overpass, still riding the bike.
When officers got to him, he had a loaded Hi-Point 45 caliber pistol with one round in the chamber, the victims’ backpack, one of the victims’ phones and the two sets of car keys.
The other phone was found abandoned behind the S&H Tires on Old Ball Ground Highway, according to the DA’s office.
The DA’s office said they found the mask Kirby wore at the RaceTrac where he’d committed the armed robbery.
He admitted to 12 counts filed against him in an indictment, including:
- 2 counts of armed robbery
- 2 counts of aggravated assault
- Entering auto
- Hijacking a motor vehicle
- Possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime
- Possession of tools fo the commission of a crime
- Possession of a pistol by someone under 18 years of age
- Possession of less than an ounce of marijuana
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After pleading guilty on Nov. 7, Kirby was sentenced to 25 years, with the first 15 years to be served in prison and the rest on probation.
“The facts of this case are disturbing. The evidence showed that the defendant was prepared to fire his weapon should the victims not have cooperated with his demands,” said District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway. “Canton Police did an excellent job with this investigation, immediately identifying the location of the defendant and quickly apprehending him. This case is a good reminder to remain aware of your surroundings, especially if you are alone late at night.”
In addition to his years of confinement and probation, Kirby was banned from entering Cherokee County and blocked from contacting the victims.
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