Cell Phone App Leads Police to Robbery Suspect

DUNWOODY, GA -- The Sandy Springs Police Department assisted in the take down of a suspect wanted on various felony charges.

Robert John Walter, 39, has been charged with robbery by sudden snatching, burglary, entering auto, possession of heroin, obstruction and theft by receiving motor vehicle, Dunwoody police said.

The hunt for Walter began July 19 when two Dunwoody police officers were at a local church gym when they say a male leaving the facility with several gym bags.

Those officers went to the locker room, and found that their gym bags had been gone through and several lockers had been broken into, Dunwoody police said.

The off-duty officers observed Walter enter a stolen vehicle and flee the scene. Uniformed patrol officers tracked the suspect to a hardware store in Sandy Springs using an app on a cell phone that was stolen from the gym.

Walter was taken into custody with the assistance of the Sandy Springs Police Department when he tried to leave the hardware store in the stolen vehicle.

Along with facing charges in connection to the thefts, Walter is also charged with committing a residential burglary on June 4.

According to Dunwoody police, Walter entered a home and stole the purse of a homeowner who was doing yard work outside. The victim confronted Walter in her driveway, and was dragged by his vehicle as he fled the scene.

The woman received minor injuries in that incident. On July 12, Walter was captured on video surveillance at a local retail store committing a robbery by snatching the purse of a victim while they shopped.

Walter has been charged related to this incident as well. In addition to these incidents, Walter is suspected of committing similar crimes in several areas around metro Atlanta.

Anyone with additional information on these incidents is asked to contact Detective Maldonado at 678-382-6914 or jesus.maldonado@dunwoodyga.gov.

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Image via DeKalb County Jail