Second Roswell home invasion suspect surrenders

The second suspect wanted in the Jan. 8 home invasion at Roswell's Horseshoe Bend subdivision turned himself in Feb. 20, said Roswell police.

Reuben A. Allen, 30, of Lawrenceville was accompanied by his lawyer, said James McGee, a spokesman for the Roswell police department. He was booked into Fulton County Jail the next day on charges of aggravated assault and armed robbery.

McGee — who had earlier called for Allen to give himself up saying it was just a "matter of time" before police caught him — said he has been uncooperative in the investigation, as was the first suspect arrested, 25-year-old Joseph J. Marino of Atlanta.

"He has not been talking to us," said McGee. "Maybe to his lawyer, but not us."

McGee said though Marino was arrested Jan. 15 for drug possession and charged in the home invasion two days later, he did not give police any information on Allen or his whereabouts.

"We had pretty good information from other sources," he said.

Allen has been wanted for questioning in conjunction with the home invasion since Jan. 22, when police sent out his mug shot and warned the public he was considered armed and dangerous. According to Fulton Jail records, Allen also was arrested in September 2008 for hit and run in Sandy Springs, a crime for which he was sentenced in state court.

McGee said having Allen's face and name was a useful piece of information that lead to his capture — but he didn't release much more. He said earlier in the investigation that Horseshoe Bend residents have been integral in finding the two men.

"I don't want to narrow things down," he said. "Everything we got helped us out in this case, including the information from Sandy Springs."

Allen and Marino are accused of waiting for the owner of Sandy Springs' Happy Hocker Pawn Shop outside his Steeple Chase Pointe home Jan. 8. When the man went outside to walk his dogs at 10 p.m., they allegedly pistol whipped him, then tied him, his wife, 14-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son up in the home.

"They were all roughed up, especially the husband," said McGee at the time of the incident.

The men took an undisclosed amount of money — which police believed was the motive of the crime — and escaped on foot while the family managed to call 911.

McGee said though Marino is facing more charges than Allen currently, it should not be assumed that he was the ringleader or did the beating.

"By the nature of their both being there they are both necessarily culpable," he said.

The family was taken to North Fulton Regional Hospital that night, where they were checked out and released.

McGee said police are being tight lipped because there is still information "out there" integral to the case.

"Even though we've got folks in jail on this case, we're still looking at it," he said. "It's not a done deal."

More on this story available on www.northfulton.com.

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