Two Arrested After Stealing $5,000 and Hundreds of Lottery Tickets from Atlanta Store

ATLANTA, GA — Two suspects have been arrested and charged in connection with a commercial burglary in Southwest Atlanta where thousands of dollars and hundreds of lottery tickets were stolen. The suspects, identified as 28-year-old Martell Johnson and 31-year-old Gabrielle Murray, were taken into custody following a police investigation.

The burglary occurred on January 5, 2026, when suspects broke into a convenience store located in Southwest Atlanta. During the break-in, the suspects raided the cashier's desk, stealing approximately $5,000 in cash, several cartons of cigarettes, and hundreds of lottery tickets. Surveillance footage from the business captured the burglary in progress, showing the suspects searching the counter area. Investigators also discovered that one of the suspects cashed several of the stolen lottery tickets at a different retail location later that same day.

Following a multi-week investigation, Atlanta Police officers spotted the suspects' vehicle on Campbellton Road SW on March 10, 2026. Officers initiated a traffic stop and subsequently arrested both Johnson and Murray. During a search of the vehicle, officers recovered 315 of the stolen lottery tickets.

Both Johnson and Murray face charges of second-degree burglary and felony theft by taking. According to court records from mid-March 2026, Murray was released on a $45,000 bond, while Johnson remained held in custody at the Fulton County Jail.