Standoff Ends with Tear Gas; Armed Robbery Suspects Arrested in Athens

Two people were arrested and charged following an overnight standoff with police in Athens that ended with tear gas Monday morning. A third suspect had been arrested Sunday night.

A Nicholson, Ga., man told police that when he went to a Garnett Ridge Drive residence to pick up a woman to go to a movie around 7:30 p.m. Sunday night, he was confronted by two armed men, who forced him to get to the floor and then stole his wallet, cash, cell phone and sunglasses.

The movie date apparently set him up for the crime.

According to Athens-Clarke County police, the victim hit the panic alarm button on the key fob of his car to create a distraction, and one of the men fled on foot. The victim also fled and then called police.

The suspect who fled was apprehended a short time later. He was identified as Miguel Salas, 51, a Mexican National who has had a hold placed on him at the county jail by the Department of Homeland Security, OnlineAthens.com reported. Salas was charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault and giving false information.

The woman and man — identified as Jose Santos Sotelo, 28, and Kristen Rushe Crumley, 23 — refused to come out of the house, and the Special Response Team was called.

“Negotiators made numerous attempts to contact the suspects,” police said in a news release. “Telephone contact was established and, after a brief standoff, the suspects were taken into custody without incident around 1030 August 18.”

OnlineAthens reported the suspects were flushed out with tear gas. Read more of its report here.

Sotelo and Crumley were charged with armed robbery and aggravated assault.