Teen arrested, accused in string of brazen robberies

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A teen has been arrested in a string of armed robberies and a shooting.
 
Clayton County police say the teen is responsible for at least four armed robberies that started at the end of March. Channel 2's Liz Artz talked with neighbors at the Maplewood Point Apartments where the 19-year-old was arrested Friday.
 
A witness said Alex Lorenzo Taylor apologized to his victims and the family of the worker police say he shot during one of the robberies as he was hauled off in a police car.
 
Clarice Haynes lives at the apartments where Taylor was staying and witnessed his arrest. She told Artz police had been at the complex going door to door looking for Taylor the day prior to his arrest.
 
"They was knocking on the door they were going door to door looking for him," Haynes said.
 
Haynes told Artz she looked on as police arrested the teen.
 
"That's all he kept saying, 'I want to talk to my mom. I want to talk to my mom, what did I do? What did I do?,'" Haynes said.
 
In a weeks' time, police think he could have robbed as many as six businesses at gunpoint. On Friday, detectives charged him with four of the robberies. Police said the robberies were at the Beauty Mart, only days apart.
 
Taylor faces aggravated assault charges for shooting an employee at the Great Wall of China restaurant on Upper Riverdale Road Monday.
 
Police say the teen's actions were brazen.
 
"After the shooting he actually was bold enough, he went back inside and got the money from the register and left," said Clayton Count Poluce Maj. Joseph Woodall.
 
That boldness, however, wasn't as apparent Friday evening. Haynes says the young man went peacefully.
 
"He went peacefully. He didn't have no choice, where else he going to go with handcuffs on?" Haynes said.

WSBTV