A 20-year-old man from Canton has been handed a hefty 25-year sentence for his role in a 2021 armed robbery at a local gas station. Brayden Nicholas Kirby, the accused, struck a deal with prosecutors on November 7, pleading guilty to a slew of charges related to the late-night crime at RaceTrac on Riverstone Parkway, said the Cherokee County District Attorney's Office.
The harrowing episode occurred after 2 a.m. when Kirby, donning a disturbing Halloween mask, brandished a handgun at two women fueling up their vehicle. Following his orders, the shaken victims surrendered two cell phones, their truck keys, and keys to another set of wheels, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. Kirby's attempted getaway in the truck was thwarted when he couldn’t manage its gears, prompting him to snatch a backpack and escape on a verdant bicycle.
Law enforcement was swift to track Kirby down using location data from the stolen phones, finding him on an overpass above Interstate 575, where he was apprehended still pedaling his green bicycle. Alongside the victims’ possessions, authorities uncovered a Hi-Point 45-caliber pistol, chambered and ready, and the sinister mask from the robbery. The uncovering of the second cell phone behind S and H Tires on Old Ball Ground Highway put another nail in the coffin for Kirby’s defense, according to details from the Tribune Ledger News.
In the courtroom, Kirby owned up to all 12 indictment counts, including two counts of armed robbery and two counts of aggravated assault. His punishment includes a 15-year stretch behind bars, with the remaining decade on probation. Furthermore, Kirby is forbidden from making any contact with the victims and can’t set foot in Cherokee County again. "The facts of this case are disturbing. The evidence showed that the defendant was prepared to fire his weapon should the victims not have cooperated with his demands," District Attorney Susan Treadaway said, praising Canton Police for their investigation and capture of Kirby. This case, she emphasized, serves as a stark "reminder to remain aware of your surroundings, especially if you are alone late at night."
