Man Arrested in Monday Armed Robbery

One person is in custody after an alleged armed robbery in southern Stephens County.

Sheriff Randy Shirley said that the armed robbery report came in on Monday at about 9:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the Dollar General store on Georgia Highway 106 in the New Hope community of Stephens County, near the Franklin County line.

“During the interview of the victim on the scene, investigators learned that the suspect had struck the victim from behind and he fell to the ground and he immediately ran inside and told the clerk to call 911, he had been robbed,” said Shirley. “The victim also said that the suspect ran to a white car that was in the parking lot and had occupants inside. He was beating on the window, trying to get in. The occupants of the car had the doors locked and the suspect ran out of the parking lot, across 106, and out of sight.”

Shirley said the Georgia State Patrol picked up a person of interest for questioning soon after the incident was reported and K-9’s from the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office assisted in a search of the New Hope community as part of the investigation.

The sheriff said that investigators questioned that person of interest on Tuesday, but had to let him go because they did not have evidence with which to hold him.

However, Shirley said that his investigators continued to work the case and caught a break on Tuesday afternoon.

“After interviewing two individuals that were with the person of interest, they corroborated statements of what occurred,” said Shirley. “As a result of their information, the individual was arrested.”

The person arrested is identified as 22-year-old Geroshe La-quinn Lewis.

According to the sheriff, Lewis’ current address is Toccoa.

However, the sheriff said Lewis is originally from Tampa, Florida and is on probation there for armed robbery.

In Stephens County, Lewis now faces one count of Armed Robbery in connection to the incident at the Dollar General.

He remains in the Stephens County Jail at last report.

The sheriff added that authorities have also recovered the gun and other evidence in a culvert just off of a roadway near the incident.