North Fulton/Forsyth County Crime Spree Ends in Sandy Springs

The chilling crime spree ended in Sandy Springs, last week. Authorities have released details on the events that started in Forsyth County and continued in Alpharetta and Duluth, involving armed robbery, auto theft, carjacking and terroristic threats.

Edward Kim, 31, of Gainesville, was arrested and taken to Forsyth County Jail on charges stemming from the incidents.

See the video with police describing the brazen crimes.

The crimes seem to have started in Forsyth County's Ivey Walk subdivision early on Friday, Aug. 17. The suspect allegedly stole a family member's Chevy Tahoe and two handguns – one of which was recovered from the suspect when he was arrested several days later in Sandy Springs.

Alpharetta Crime Spree

Early that Friday afternoon, the BeJewel store in Alpharetta was the scene of an armed robbery. A man walked in at 12:45 p.m. and when the only employee came out of the back of the store, he pulled a handgun and told her to open the register. He took cash out of the register and told the employee not to call police adding that he'd be watching her for five minutes.

Teen Carjacked at the Mall

At 8:30 p.m., a 16-year-old girl was outside Van Maur at in the family's Kia Soul to pick her father up from work. The suspect approached her saying she had dropped something. Using that distraction to take her keys, he grabbed her. He then forced her to take him on a harrowing ride, during which he screamed at her, hit her in the back of the head with a handgun and pointed it at her, threatening to kill her, according to Alpharetta police incident reports.

The report says, the suspect became upset when the teen explained that she didn't have any credit or debit cards. He made her drive onto Ga. 400 at Haynes Bridge Road, and exit the highway at Old Milton Parkway before having her pull into a business parking lot. Once there, he threw her out of the car onto the ground and drove away, said George Gordon, Alpharetta PD spokesperson.

The teen flagged down a passing motorist and called the police.

Teen IDs Suspect

On Monday, Aug. 20, an Alpharetta investigator showed the teen photos from surveillance video of a Duluth armed robbery. She couldn't identify the suspect, but screamed, "That's him," when the investigator got to a photo from the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office. She was later able to positively identify the Forsyth suspect as the person who allegedly carjacked her.

Suspect Caught in Sandy Springs

A short time later the investigator learned that Sandy Springs police had the suspect in custody. A Forsyth County warrant/fugitive unit was out tracking the suspect on a probation warrant, the vehicle and gun thefts in that county, Gordon said. Sandy Springs police assisted in stopping the stolen Kia Soul he allegedly was driving and in the arrest. SSPD spotted a loaded handgun in the stolen car.

In Sandy Springs, the Alpharetta investigator recorded the suspect's confession to the carjacking at North Point Mall, according to Gordon and the incident report. The suspect said he didn't know anything about an armed robbery in Alpharetta.

During questioning, the suspect said things were hazy, and "I'm pretty messed up on dope," according to the police incident report.

Duluth police also believe the suspect is responsible for an armed robbery of a Rite Aid pharmacy on Aug. 18 at 8 a.m., a day after the Forsyth and Alpharetta crimes.

Kim, was arrested and charged by Forsyth Sheriff's investigators, and will face whatever charges the District Attorney presents, before cases in other jurisdictions are heard.

Alpharetta investigators have sworn warrants charging Kim with:

• Hijacking of a motor vehicle;
• Kidnapping;
• Armed robbery;
• Cruelty to children;
• Possession of a firearm in the commission of a crime;
• Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon;
• Aggravated Assault;
• Terroristic threats.

The arrest information was supplied by the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety. It does not indicate a conviction.