Atlanta police say a January convenience store break-in that stripped roughly $5,000 in cash, hundreds of lottery tickets and several packs of cigarettes from the shelves has now led to a pair of arrests, with a baby reportedly riding along for the aftermath.
According to the Atlanta Police Department, officers stopped a vehicle on March 10 and seized about 315 lottery tickets before taking 28-year-old Martell Johnson and 31-year-old Gabrielle Murray into custody. Body-worn camera footage from the stop shows a baby in the car, police said. Both are facing charges that include second-degree burglary and theft by taking.
Police Released Video Of The Theft
Investigators say surveillance footage from the store shows both suspects inside during the burglary, with one of them seen taking items from the shelves. Police said the theft happened Jan. 5 and that later surveillance captured one suspect cashing some of the stolen lottery tickets elsewhere that same day, according to video the department posted on Facebook.
The timing of the video’s public release was noted by Atlanta News First, which reported that the footage was shared on Tuesday.
Traffic Stop Produced The Evidence
Officers ultimately tied the case together during the March 10 traffic stop. The department’s body-worn camera clip, posted on Facebook, shows officers pulling lottery tickets from the vehicle and handcuffing Johnson and Murray while a child remains in the backseat. Police have not publicly identified the convenience store that was burglarized.
Charges And What Happens Next
Police booked the two adults as Martell Johnson, 28, and Gabrielle Murray, 31, and charged both with second-degree burglary and theft by taking. Those charging details were reported by Atlanta News First. It was not immediately clear when the pair will next appear in court, and Atlanta police say the investigation remains active.
Why Lottery Tickets And Cigarettes Are Common Targets
Retail thieves frequently go after compact, high-value goods that can be resold quickly, and scratch-off lottery tickets and cigarette cartons fit that description. Similar cases around metro Atlanta have ended in arrests, including suspects accused of manipulating lottery machines to steal tickets, reported by Forsyth News, and alleged crews taking cartons of cigarettes across multiple jurisdictions, detailed by WSB-TV.
Atlanta police say their social media post and local reporting remain the main sources of publicly available information on the case and are asking anyone with tips to contact detectives.
