Two men were arrested Tuesday in Morrow in connection with the fatal shooting of a suspected car burglar in northwest Atlanta in August, joining four other men previously arrested in the case.
Three of the suspects face murder charges, while three others have already seen their murder charges dropped by prosecutors or dismissed by judges.
Darius Blake, 19, and Malachi Sanabria, 18, were taken into custody by Morrow officers, Atlanta police said in a statement Wednesday. The teenagers both had outstanding warrants out of Atlanta on murder charges related to the Aug. 6 killing of Marques Jenkins.
Credit: Family photo
Credit: Family photo
Officers found Jenkins suffering from a gunshot wound to the head in a gray Jeep at the Mark at West Midtown, an apartment complex in the Loring Heights neighborhood, police said. Jenkins was still breathing despite multiple gunshot wounds when officers found him, but police said he died after being taken to the hospital.
According to court documents, Jenkins and 20-year-old Matt Washington were breaking into cars in the parking lot at 500 Bishop Street when three men began shooting at them. Washington, who was one of the men later arrested in connection with the fatal shooting, did not remain at the scene with the severely wounded Jenkins.
A little more than three months after Jenkins’ death, Atlanta police detailed a series of arrests that included Washington, Blake and Sanabria.
On Aug. 31, Cedron Tigner was arrested in Atlanta on charges of prowling, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and theft by receiving stolen property, police said. Two days after Tigner was booked into the Fulton County Jail, police secured warrants against him related to Jenkins’ killing, as well as gang and gun charges.
Tigner remains in jail without bond on charges related to his Aug. 31 arrest, but his murder charge was dismissed Oct. 2, according to online court records.
Washington was arrested Sept. 9 in Clayton County after a 911 caller tipped off police about a possible domestic incident at the suspect’s home. Clayton officers found that Washington had an outstanding warrant on a murder charge related to Jenkins’ death. At the time, Clayton police said they believed the 911 call was a ruse to have Washington arrested.
Washington was booked into the Fulton jail but released Oct. 3 after the murder charge was dismissed, jail records show. He posted bond of $8,000 in connection with four counts of entering auto. According to court records, Washington and Tigner appeared at their preliminary hearing as co-defendants. Washington is not facing any charges related to gang activity.
On Sept. 16, 19-year-old Justin Burton was arrested in DeKalb County on a felony murder charge, along with several charges of entering auto and gang activity, police said. He was transferred to the Fulton jail Sept. 30 and released a month later after the Fulton District Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute the murder charge. Burton’s other charges were dismissed.
In late October, 23-year-old Gary Price was arrested in Conyers in connection with the Aug. 6 killing, Atlanta police said. He was booked into the Fulton jail Oct. 28 on counts of murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, jail records show.
Blake and Sanabria face charges identical to Price’s, jail records show. None face gang-related charges, but all three remain in jail without bond.
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