3 charged, 1 sought in weekend robbery

Published 10:02 pm Thursday, May 11, 2017

From left are Alexis Danielle Griffin, Clayton Bradley Zimmerman and Justin Levin Thornton, all of whom are charged in the robbery of Jose Manuel Jimenez early Sunday morning.

Editor’s Note: This article has been corrected from its original version.

MOULTRIE, Ga. — Three people accused of luring a Moultrie man early Sunday morning to a Crosland residence, where he was beaten, restrained and robbed, have been arrested and police are seeking a fourth.

 On Monday police arrested Justin Levin Thornton, 28, and Alexis Danielle Griffin, 26, both of 5728A U.S. Hwy. 319 N., Norman Park. Officers arrested Clayton Bradley Zimmerman, 37, of 1711 Seventh St. S.E., on Tuesday.

Jose Manuel Jimenez, of the 2200 block of Highway 133 North, showed up at the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office at about 6:12 a.m. Sunday to report the robbery. He told police the assault began at about 3 a.m.

“They lured the victim there” to Crosland, where Thornton and Griffin live, sheriff’s Sgt. Timmy Barnes said on Thursday. “Once he was there he was snatched from his vehicle and beaten with a handgun.”

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The woman came to the passenger-side window of Jiminez’s Ford F-250 pickup truck, Barnes said, and three men pulled him from it.

After he was on the ground the assault continued, with his assailants beating him with fists and kicking him.

“He was tied up,” Barnes said. “After he gave them — or they took it from his pocket — a small amount of money and his cell phone they went through his vehicle, believed to be looking for drugs or additional money.”

Some time later the four people released him, Jimenez told police.

“The offenders ran off, jumped in a car parked across the road, and drove back to Moultrie,” Barnes said.

Griffin, Thornton and Zimmerman all have been charged with armed robbery. Police also charged Thornton with possessing a controlled substance, which Barnes said he had on him at the time of his arrest, and probation violation.

Barnes also has taken an arrest warrant for Joseph Keith “Jody” Fender, 35. He also is charged with armed robbery. Barnes expects to file additional charges in the case.

He asked anyone with information about Fender’s location to contact the sheriff’s office.