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Investigators say they've made big break in armed robbery cases

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Police believe they've made a huge break in finding a serial armed robbery suspect.

Only Channel 2 Action News was there Tuesday as investigators made the discovery.

Channel 2's Mike Petchenik was at a special meeting in which police gave Petchenik rare access into their investigative process.  It didn't take detectives long to put the pieces together to find a potential suspect in this case.

Detectives watched surveillance video from inside a Cobb County QT convenience store taken June 18 showing a man walk in to the store, pretend to buy something and then rob the cashier.

"In our case, he racked the handgun, pointed at the clerk, said, 'You know what time it is,'" Detective J.T. Williams of the Sandy Springs Police Department told the assembled detectives.

Police in Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fayette, Rockdale, Douglas and Henry Counties believe the same man has struck seven times in the last few weeks. On Tuesday, police gave Petchenik a rare chance to watch them compare notes about the evidence.

"In all cases, he flees on foot," Williams said.

Almost immediately, there was a potential big break in the case.

"The lottery tickets stolen from my robbery were cashed the next morning," said Detective Josh Shelton of the Fayette County Sheriff's Office.

Shelton revealed he had tracked down the man who cashed the stolen tickets.

Detectives quickly realized that man's voice was very similar to the voice of the man in this surveillance video.

"'I've got him identified real well. I think I know where he's living. If I don't, I've got his mama's number, his uncle's number, his cousin's number," Shelton said.

It was a promising lead that detectives decide they'll follow.

Police revealed the feds are looking to take over this case. And while police have an idea about who the guy is, they're still asking for tips.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477.