Snellville Armed Robbery Suspects Quickly Nabbed

SNELLVILLE, GA -- Four teen suspects have been arrested and charged with two armed robberies that happened in the Snellville area on Friday.

Timothy James McClendon, 17, Irving Lewis Saunders, 17, Jashon Aaron Samuels, 18, and Thoushal Nakill Lucas, 19, face a variety of charges in the robberies, during which police say they punched and kicked their victims in addition to pulling a gun on them.

Gwinnett County Police officers were called around 3 p.m. to Cash America Pawn, at 3355 Stone Mountain Highway, to find a victim bleeding from his head and face.

The victim told them four men robbed him in the parking lot. One robber pointed a black handgun at his face and demanded money and another punched him in the face, he told police.

The robbers took the victim's cell phone, keys and eyeglasses and ran from the scene, at least two of them jumping over a barbed wire fence, according to a police report.

But a customer at a neighboring business saw the attack and followed the suspects, calling 911, police say. Nearby officers located a Hyundai Elantra the witness reported to them and stopped it at Parkwood Road and Centerville Highway.

McClendon, who was in the back seat of the Hyundai, and the driver were both detained.

About that time, a second armed-robbery call came in. Officers were dispatched to Cubesmart Self Storage, at 3313 Stone Mountain Hwy.

There, they met a second victim with blood on his face and clothing and a large cut on the top of his head.

The man told officers he was at his storage unit putting some items in his vehicle when he was confronted by two men.

One pointed a handgun at him and demanded money. When he told them he didn't have any, the two men began punching and kicking him in the head and upper body, police say.

They stole his cellphone, ID and keys and began taking property from his vehicle. Among the items stolen were four Samurai swords valued at several hundred dollars.

Several officers, including canine units, saturated the area, police say.

An officer found Saunders, who police say began fighting and kicking officers as they arrested him.

The Cubesmart victim's cellphone, ID and keys, and the keys of the pawn-shop victim, were with Saunders, police say.

Samuels was found soon afterward and taken into custody.

Then, officers spotted Lucas getting into a car with a woman and arrested him.

The victim from Cash America Pawn identified all four suspects and said Samuels was the one who punched him, police say. The Cubesmart victim identified Saunders and Samuels as the men who robbed him.

A canine unit found the suspects' handgun and the remaining stolen property in the woods. All stolen property was returned to the victims.

All four suspects and the driver of the Hyundai were taken to Gwinnett County Police headquarters. Police say the driver was found to not know what was going on and was released.

(Photos courtesy Gwinnett County Police Department)