A previous version of this story quoted law enforcement saying that Malik Anthony was on parole. Anthony actually completed his sentence with the Georgia Department of Corrections.
A convicted felon who served a 10-year sentence for stickups and assault in DeKalb and Fulton Counties is jailed after racking up new, identical charges--and now, allegedly shooting someone.
Georgia Department of Corrections information shows Malik Anthony was sentenced to 10 years in 2012 for charges including armed robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and obstruction. He was released in 2022.
Police say in late March of last year, Anthony began preying on the area near Virginia Avenue and Harrison Road in East Point with armed robberies at a dollar store and a fast food restaurant.
He had been granted bond, and was released from the Fulton County Jail in late March of this year.
East Point Police Sgt. J. L. Watkins says around 7:30 on the morning of May 15, 2024, Anthony, who was out on bond for recent crimes in Fulton county, and another man approached two men who were gassing up at a gas station on Virginia Avenue. In the struggle for the GMC truck, one of those men was shot in the chest.
“The victim was transported from the scene to Grady [Memorial Hospital] ER, and right now, he does have paralysis from the gunshot,” says Watkins. Watkins does not know the extent of the paralysis.
Anthony now faces 13 new charges, including armed robbery; possession of a firearm or knife during commission of or attempt to commit certain felonies; aggravated assault; aggravated battery; first-degree motor vehicle hijacking; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; and willful obstruction of law enforcement officers by threats or violence.
This time, a Fulton County judge denied Anthony bond.
The case galvanized East Point Police, who had already locked up Anthony on the previous robberies. Detectives got video surveillance which helped identify their suspects, and they and patrol officers canvassed the area. Within a day, Anthony was in custody, and the following week, the second man was under arrest. Watkins says surprisingly, the criminals were found in the same area they’d been victimizing--and now, those streets are safer.
“We got both of them off the streets,” says Sgt. Watkins. “It was excellent work by our Patrol Division. They’re the ones who located him. Our detectives worked hard on this case.”
It’s not known why Anthony, who served 9.5 years in Baldwin State Prison, turned back to a life of crime and escalated to violence. Watkins has also worked as a probation officer, and he says the reasons vary.
“It’s just depending if they’re just looking for money, or sometimes, some of them do it for the thrill of it, unfortunately,” he says.