A man accused of killing a woman inside a Cobb County hotel was on the run for eight days. But he couldn’t outrun Atlanta officers on bicycles, police said Thursday.
Ulysses Grant Gatling III was arrested about 11 a.m. Wednesday after he was spotted around the King Center pathway, police in both Cobb and Atlanta confirmed. Gatling, 31, has been charged with murder and aggravated assault in the death of Jalin Belton, according to police.
“This confirms the effectiveness of utilizing law enforcement partnerships combined with solid police work,” Atlanta police posted on Facebook. “Together, our crimefighting reach is longer and we are stronger.”
Around 11:30 a.m. Oct. 18, officers were called to the InTown Suites Extended Stay on Barrett Creek Parkway near Town Center at Cobb, according to Cobb police spokeswoman Officer Shenise Barner. There, they found a woman, later identified as 30-year-old Belton, dead at the scene.
Investigators believe Belton was killed by an “edged weapon,” police said the following day. The relationship between the victim and suspect was not released, but address records show Gatling lived at the hotel. Police said the crime was an act of domestic violence.
Cobb police then issued a lookout alert to other law enforcement agencies to help find Gatling. To some Atlanta officers, Gatling was a familiar face, the agency said.
“The BOLO was sent out to all APD staff. Zone 6 Bike Team members recalled seeing the suspect previously around the pathway area near the King Center,” Atlanta police said. “No time to wait for SWAT or Fugitive, the officers jumped on their bikes and rode to the general area where they believe they last saw the man, and in an almost serendipitous encounter, there he was.”
Credit: Family photo
Credit: Family photo
Three officers surrounded Gatling, who was taken into custody without incident. On Thursday, he was being held at the Cobb jail.
The funeral for Belton is planned for Saturday in Lancaster, South Carolina, according to her online obituary. She is survived by two children, according to police. After her death, investigators confirmed both children are safe with relatives out of state and neither was in the room when Belton was killed, Barner said.
— Staff writer Chelsea Prince contributed to this article.
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