A Lawrenceville man out for his Monday morning walk says a simple plea to "slow down" turned into a neighborhood chase, complete with cellphone video and a sprint through a neighbor's yard. After he asked a passing driver to ease up near children waiting at a school bus stop, the situation escalated, and he ended up cutting through a nearby property to reach Lawrenceville Highway and call police. Authorities later arrested two people who now face assault charges.
Gwinnett County police say it all started on Amberwood Drive near Lawrenceville, where the man, who is in his 50s, was walking when he flagged down a car and asked the driver to slow down. According to WSB‑TV, the driver and a passenger confronted him, then followed him through the neighborhood for about 19 minutes while he recorded much of the encounter on his phone.
Officers arrested 29-year-old Jose Perez Navarro and 31-year-old Yanima Garibay and charged both with simple assault. Police say a search of the car turned up five Xanax bars in Perez Navarro's wallet, and he was also booked on a felony drug possession charge. Detectives told WSB‑TV that Perez Navarro had picked Garibay up from the Gwinnett County Jail that morning, and that she had been arrested the day before on separate drug charges. "People do not handle criticism very well sometimes, and they do not want to be told what to do," Cpl. Angela Carter of the Gwinnett County Police Department said.
What the charges mean under Georgia law
Under O.C.G.A. § 16-5-20, simple assault is generally treated as a misdemeanor, although the statute lists specific situations that can increase the potential penalties. Drug possession charges fall under O.C.G.A. § 16-13-30 and can carry felony penalties depending on the substance involved, the amount, and other circumstances. For the full statutory language, see O.C.G.A. § 16-5-20 on Justia and O.C.G.A. § 16-13-30 on Justia.
