Robbery Suspect Profile: Dewon Pitts
On the evening of 10/25 two pedestrian robberies at gunpoint took place in the neighborhood – one on Myrtle Street and another on 8th Street. In one of the incidents witnesses called 911 as they observed the suspects perpetrate the act and then flee the area in a Nissan Quest. Police responded quickly to both scenes to take incident reports, and put a lookout on this Nissan Quest. Later in the evening a beat officer spotted the suspected vehicle on Parkway Drive and initiated a traffic stop.
The police report notes that the driver of the vehicle, Dewon Pitts, responded by engaging the police in a shootout and survived with only a single gunshot wound. A second suspect in the vehicle escaped as Pitts shot at police officers. Investigators know nothing about this second suspect other than that he likely found refuge somewhere in the Bedford-Pine apartments. Pitts was taken to Grady for his gunshot wound sustained during his assault upon the police.
Police and prosecutors have laid 19 charges on Pitts so far, including multiple counts each of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Depending on how you calculate his criminal liability, he should have at least 100 years of prison time coming if found guilty and sentenced to serve consecutively. According to the Criminal Code of Georgia, “A person convicted of the offense of armed robbery shall be punished by death or imprisonment for life or by imprisonment for not less than ten nor more than 20 years,” so he may even be eligible for the death penalty or permanent incarceration on each of the seven counts of armed robbery currently on his booking record. Sharla Jackson, our community prosecutor, confirmed that minimum sentencing applies for armed robbery – ten years to life…
We find it somewhat worrisome that our experience and observations suggest that Fulton County judges tend to sentence offenders rather leniently, as reflected by other cases like the burglar with extensive criminal history convicted earlier this year in a Midtown case being allowed to simply walk away on probation. Because of Pitts’ devotion to a criminal way of life, and given that a robbery at gunpoint is a short step shy of a homicide, we will make this our highest-priority court watch case. If a court in fact convicts Pitts or anyone else for these robberies, anything short of the full brunt of the law would surely offend the sensibilities of the Midtown community put on edge by the latest spate of robberies.
According to our research, he was admitted into Grady on the 25th, but was booked into the jail on the 28th still sporting a hospital gown in his mugshot. He sometimes uses an alias of Roy Latimore. Fulton County records show several bookings under that name, and the Department of Corrections lists that among his known aliases.
The 19 charges also include those in connection with a robbery in Virginia Highland on 10/19. During the police investigation the victims in that incident picked him out in a photo lineup. More charges may be forthcoming, as the outcome of additional photo lineups factor into the ongoing investigation.
Public records show numerous bookings into the Fulton County jail for this seasoned criminal, and the Georgia Department of Corrections notes four periods of imprisonment beginning in 1996. What’s more, Pitts was released last year on parole for a full sentence that runs until May of 2014. From the listing of charges, it appears that the State Board of Pardons and Parole has initiated parole revocation proceedings.
We are grateful not only for the fact that none of the victims were hurt in these incidents, but also for the proactive and diligent work of the Atlanta Police Department in their pursuit of this very dangerous criminal. Our community prosecutor Sharla Jackson assured us that the Fulton County District Attorney’s office will prosecute this case vigorously. We will advise on court watch dates as they arise.
While this is the celebrated arrest that we have been waiting for, please bear in mind:
1. Though it seems to us that the robberies stopped once Pitts was taken into custody, we wish to remind folks not to let their guard down when walking on the streets late at night.
2. The Atlanta Police Department has requested that we withhold photos and mugshots until victims can be shown a photo lineup. As soon as APD gives us clearance to do so, we will post them to the website and link from our Facebook page.
Mugshots of this criminal: Withheld until further notice
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