The Athens-Clarke County Police Department has arrested 16-year-old Laquavion Baughns in relation to three separate armed robberies that occurred on Saturday, Oct. 16.
The ACCPD is continuing its investigation into a series of armed robberies that occurred in Athens over the weekend of Oct. 16. During that time, 11 pedestrians were robbed at gunpoint within a 24-hour period. Three of the robberies took place within a 40-minute span along a two-mile stretch on the outskirts of downtown.
“This is not typical,” stresses Athens-Clarke County Police Department spokesperson Lt. Shaun Barnett.
Baughns was arrested in connection to three armed robberies of seven pedestrians on Saturday at South Pope, Second, and South Willow Streets. Police say two males brandishing guns approached the pedestrians and held them at gunpoint in the first two holdups, and the suspects got away with an undisclosed amount of cash. Nothing was stolen in the third robbery.
Officials say it’s possible the suspects used the large crowds on a football weekend as an opportunity to take advantage of people walking on the downtown perimeter.
Baughns is also in custody for an armed robbery that occurred on Oct. 13 in the area of Mitchell Street and Williams Street. He is being charged as an adult.
Three more armed robberies from last weekend occurred Sunday, Oct. 17, during which a single male suspect robbed four more victims within a 30-minute span at three locations on Vine, Fourth, and Baxter Streets. Although he pulled a gun on them and demanded cash, he fled empty-handed. ACCPD has not yet made an arrest in the Sunday armed robbery case.
“In some cases, the victims were able to immediately run away and nothing was taken. In some cases, the victims did not possess anything of value so nothing was taken,” Barnett explains. He says the similarities lead police to believe the crimes may be related but it’s too early in the investigation to know for sure. He adds, “ACCPD is going to allocate every possible resource to solving these crimes and strategically patrolling to help prevent something like this happening in the future.”
Pedestrians can help protect themselves by following these safety tips:
- Use reputable rideshares, such as Lyft or Uber, whenever possible.
- Walk in large groups.
- Travel in well-lit, highly-populated areas.
- Plan your route and advise friends/family of your planned route.
- Always report suspicious activity to local law enforcement.
Anyone with information is asked to contact ACCPD Lieutenant Norris at (762) 400-7165 or [email protected]. Anonymous tips may be made by calling the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (706) 705-4775.
This article has been updated.
