GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Duluth police said they arrested Warren Crayton, 37, on Friday, for randomly attacking and injuring two people last week, on the same day in the same area before running away from a shopping center.
Last Tuesday, a 16-year-old leaving a Kroger told police that a stranger punched him in the face, leaving him bloodied in front of the store on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Pleasant Hill Road around 4 p.m.
About an hour later, Duluth police say the same suspect brutally assaulted a man working at a car wash at the nearby Shell gas station. The violent attack left the victim with a broken back, according to police.
His family says he remains in the hospital and it may be months until he can walk again.
Police shared surveillance video of the incident. It showed Crayton, wearing a blue shirt, kicking the victim repeatedly before running away.
Police do not have a clear motive for what led to the attacks. The victims say they were blindsided by the violence.
“I look up and next thing I know he punched me and I’m just bloody in my face,” said the 16-year-old victim over the phone. “I couldn’t really see anything because there was a lot of blood in my face.”
Witnesses and victims told police the suspect may have been going through a mental episode or experiencing the effects of drugs.
“Running around punching people,” said the teen victim. “It’s like crazy. I feel like he was on some type of drug.”
Police said Crayton is facing several charges, including Aggravated Assault, with additional charges expected to follow as the investigation continues.
WSB-TV’s Matt Johnson contributed to this story.