Chick-fil-A Robbery Chase Ends in Deadly Buckhead Crash, Suspect Arrested

A multi-jurisdictional police pursuit following an armed robbery ended in a catastrophic and fatal collision in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta on the night of Monday, April 7, 2025. The suspect, identified as 23-year-old Santario Barnwell, has been arrested and faces multiple charges, including felony murder.

The incident began around 8:40 p.m. at a Chick-fil-A located in the 600 block of Decatur Village Way in DeKalb County. According to police reports, Barnwell entered the restaurant, pepper-sprayed multiple employees, and physically ripped a cash drawer from a drive-thru register before fleeing. Investigators quickly linked the suspect's vehicle to three other recent robberies in DeKalb County and Sandy Springs.

Less than an hour later, Atlanta Police Department officers spotted the vehicle and initiated a high-speed pursuit. The chase came to a violent end at the intersection of Peachtree and Piedmont roads in Buckhead. Barnwell ran a red light at the busy intersection and crashed into another vehicle. The driver of that vehicle, identified as 26-year-old Richard O. Wells Jr. of Highland Mills, New York, was tragically killed. Barnwell was transported to a local hospital with injuries and taken into custody. He faces charges related to the robberies, the pursuit, and the death of Wells.