One dead in crash after armed robbery shooting (Feb. 23, 2010)
The suspect that fled the scene of an armed robbery and a crash that killed a bystander in February is now in Rockdale County custody.
Torrence David Sanders, 27, of Lithonia faces, among other charges, murder, homicide by vehicle in the first degree, reckless driving, fleeing/attempting to elude, driving on the wrong side of undivided street, duty to stop and an accident and failure to appear (Original Offense & DOA).
He and Ntyono Aaron Oketo Pennie, 21, of Conyers, reportedly robbed a victim at Harvest Grove Lane near Iris Drive at gunpoint and shot him in the wrist on Feb. 23. The duo fled in a grey Honda but not before a Rockdale County Sheriff's deputy spotted them and attempted to pull them over. Sanders, who was reportedly driving, ran through a red light, dodged traffic, and crashed at the intersection of Salem Road and Flat Shoals into the vehicle of Shirley Aikin, a 56-year-old Newton County resident. Aiken was taken to the hospital and later declared dead.
Both men reportedly tried to leave the crash site on foot. Pennie was caught while Sanders escaped. Sanders was picked up in DeKalb County on Sept. 2 with someone who was stopped for a traffic violation.
Pennie entered a guilty plea last month to multiple counts of armed robbery, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, obstruction of an officer and possession of marijuana less than an ounce. He did not enter a guilty plea for the charge of murder.