News

Brothers arrested in armed robbery of flea market owner

Two suspects wanted for robbing the owner of a flea market outside his Suwanee home are now in custody.

Brothers Raymond and Ralph Meadows were arrested this week at their home in Athens after tipsters revealed their identities.

The two are accused of following Stanley Ezechukwu home from the Pendergrass Flea Market last month and robbing him at gunpoint as he pulled into his driveway.

"Earlier in the day the suspects had been in his business at the Pendergrass Flea Market  talking to him, asking him suspicious questions, and probably casing the business and/or the victim himself," says Gwinnett Police Cpl. Jake Smith.

He tells WSB's Sandra Parrish after surveillance video showing the suspects was released to the media, tips began pouring in.

"One of them within the first hour of media coverage actually named these two as suspects and then subsequent tips reenforced that information," says Smith.

He says detectives were able to match pictures of the suspects to the surveillance video and the vehicle the men drove was found to have been rented by one of them.

Smith says the tipster may now be eligible for a reward.  The flea market put up a $5,000 reward for information leading to a conviction and Crime Stoppers put up $2,000 for an indictment in the case.

He also says the shotgun the suspects used in the crime had been stolen earlier this year in a burglary in Hart County, and now investigators in neighboring jurisdictions are looking at the two as possible suspects in other crimes as well.

Listen

news

weather

traffic

mobile apps

Everything you love about wsbradio.com and more! Tap on any of the buttons below to download our app.

amazon alexa

Enable our Skill today to listen live at home on your Alexa Devices!