A masked man who allegedly told a clerk he had a bomb and a handgun tried to rob a Lawrenceville check-cashing business on Wednesday afternoon, but walked away with nothing after the employee picked up the phone and called police instead. Authorities say the suspect, identified as 29-year-old Jordan Micah McLain, was later arrested when detectives tracked his pickup truck to a nearby road and pulled him over without incident.
Gwinnett County police responded to a reported bomb threat at a commercial business near the 2000 block of Lawrenceville Highway and quickly determined the scare started as an attempted armed robbery, according to CBS News Atlanta. Officers said the masked man demanded cash, then took off before getting any money.
Surveillance Footage Shows Earlier Unmasked Visit
Investigators reviewing surveillance video discovered the same man had walked into the business just minutes earlier without a mask, trying to cash what police say was a fraudulent $2,900 check, according to WSB-TV. Officers told the station he later returned wearing a mask, handed over a note and held an object that looked like a detonator, giving the clerk roughly 20 seconds to hand over the cash.
Instead, the employee dialed 911. Police say the suspect ran from the scene, no one was hurt and officers did not find any explosive device inside the business.
Aviation Unit, License-Plate Cameras Lead to Traffic Stop
Gwinnett County's aviation unit teamed up with license-plate cameras to track a red pickup truck carrying two washing machines in the bed to Seaboard Industrial Boulevard, where officers conducted a traffic stop and arrested the driver without incident, WSB-TV reported.
"We have to approach that with a certain level of intensity," Gwinnett County Police spokesperson Brock Marks told the station, referring to the reported bomb threat. Police said no bomb was found on the suspect and that the arrest was carried out safely.
Charges and Custody
Detectives identified McLain, 29, and booked him on multiple felony counts, including terroristic threats and acts, third-degree forgery, robbery by intimidation and wearing a mask to conceal his identity, according to CBS News Atlanta. He remains held at the Gwinnett County jail as investigators continue building the case.
Police have asked anyone with information or video from the area to contact the Gwinnett County Police Department. The investigation is still active, and authorities have not said whether additional charges might be filed.
