Another suspect in the high-speed chase that began with reports of multiple car break-ins near Atlanta Road was bound over to Cobb County Superior Court for trial. We covered the hearing of another suspect, Rashael Lashay Jones, last month.
Tramon Douglas, 18, of a North Avenue address in Atlanta, was bound over on charges of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, multiple charges of entering an auto, theft by receiving property with a value of more than $1500, and obstruction and hindering a law enforcement officer.
Officer Gregory Veal of Cobb County Police Department Precinct 3, and Detective Matthew Barday, of the Criminal Investigation Unit of Precinct 3, testified in Cobb County Magistrate Court this morning, at a probable cause hearing conducted by Judge Kellie Hill.
>> To learn more about this court visit our Cobb County Magistrate Court page
The high-speed chase
According to the testimony given by Veal, the incident began early in the morning on April 22, when Veal received a call of multiple auto break-ins near Atlanta Road involving several suspects in a white Nissan Altima who were leaving the vehicle to carry out thefts. He noticed a car that matched the description moving at a high rate of speed with headlights off. The driver of the auto eluded him, but he found them leaving the parking lot of the WellStar facility on Atlanta Road at a high rate of speed. The Nissan turned onto I-285.
Multiple officers entered the chase, but since the Nissan reached speeds of around 100 mph, Veal said he and the other officers broke off the chase to avoid endangering the public. Another officer, Maret, saw the Nissan crash near Donald Hollowell Parkway, and saw several suspects fleeing the vehicle into the woods near the offramp. Three suspects, Douglas, Jones, and Jaquez Ivey, were arrested at the scene.
The Nissan had been reported stolen, and there was a pistol in the car that had also been reported stolen.
>> Read a more detailed account of the chase and the arrest here
The detective’s testimony
Detective Barday read a lengthy list of the items stolen from the various car break-ins in the area, told which items were recovered, and described several security videos linking the occupants of the Nissan to the thefts. He said that although the faces of the occupants of the Nissan were covered, the video shows the suspects leaving and entering the Nissan and attempting to enter the autos in the neighborhood.
Judge Hill’s decision
Hill ruled there was probable cause to send the suspect to Superior Court for trial.
She reduced the bond to $10,000 each for two warrants for a total of $20,000 but set detailed conditions on the bond.
The suspect has a curfew of 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. There is to be no contact with the others charged with the crimes. He will be supervised by the pre-trial office and is subject to alcohol and drug screening. He is forbidden from entering Cobb County except to appear for supervision or court appearances. He has to study for and receive a GED within six months. Hill said that since he was on curfew, he should have plenty of time to study. He also has to give proof of actively seeking employment.
