Man Wanted For Attacking Woman, Stealing Her Car

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — Police have taken out arrest warrants for a man accused of hitting a woman in the head with a chair, then pulling a gun on her and stealing her car.

The crime happened at about 6 a.m. on June 22 at the Britain Woods apartment complex on Old Norcross Road near Lawrenceville. Gwinnett County Police say the woman had walked out of her apartment toward her car, a black, 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

As she was walking toward her car, a man she saw apparently working to fix a chair struck her in the back of the head with it. She fell to the ground and the man grabbed her keys, police said.

He then pulled out a handgun, police say. The woman ran away and the man took off in her car.

The woman reported the crime to police and gave a description of her attacker. More than two weeks later, on July 9, Doraville Police stopped the Monte Carlo in traffic. Driver Jeffery Merritt, 35, was arrested on unrelated charges and the car was impounded.

At the time, police say, a different license plate was on the car than the one the woman originally had on it. Merritt bonded out of jail on July 10 and retrieved the car from the impound lot. After he had bonded out, Doraville Police discovered a discrepancy between the license plate number and the vehicle's identification number.

On July 21, the lead detective in the carjacking case secured four warrants for Merritt's arrest. He is charged with aggravated assault, armed robbery, hijacking a motor vehicle and battery. He is still on the loose and is considered armed and dangerous, police said.

Anyone with information about Merritt's whereabouts is asked to contact Gwinnett County detectives at 770-513-5300. To remain anonymous, tipsters should contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or visit the Crime Stoppers website. Crime Stoppers tipsters can receive up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in the case.

Patch photo by Renee Schiavone/Merritt photo courtesy Gwinnett County Police