A man wanted for the July murder of another man at a Smyrna apartment complex was arrested Wednesday in the Delk-Powers Ferry Road area.
Cobb Police said in a statement that they were acting on a tip from the Cobb Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Task Force when Tavis Crankfield, 20, of Decatur, was located around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Crankfield is a suspect in the July 17 shooting death of Jason Escoffrey at a swimming pool at the Village West Apartments in Smyrna.
The statement said that Crankfield was apprehended after a brief foot chase.
He was charged with two counts of felony murder, one count of malice murder, one count of aggravated assault and other felony charges and is being held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office booking reports.
Smyrna police have been asking for the public’s help in finding the suspect in Escoffrey’s killing. Escoffrey, 21, who had been living in Opelika, Ala., was found shot multiple times, police said.
According to police, Crankfield left the scene at the Smyrna apartment complex after law enforcement arrived, and Escoffrey died after being taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital.
Police said that witness statements and Crime Stopper tips identified Crankfield as the suspect.
Jail booking reports indicate that in addition to the murder warrant, three other warrants were taken out against Crankfield on Wednesday, including obstructing a law enforcement officer, a probation violation and failure to appear.
Crankfield also is wanted in Forsyth County for an April 2020 police chase in which he was one of four teens arrested for speeding on Georgia 400 to elude a traffic stop.
In October of last year, Crankfield was sentenced to five years probation after being found guilty of violating the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act for a June 2019 incident.
Police said he was one of several members of the Mucho Gang, based in the South Cobb area, who attacked two people attending a birthday party in Smyrna. Crankfield also was charged with misdemeanor battery but that was dropped, according to court records.
Related:
- East Cobb woman indicted for her mother’s strangulation death
- Suspect arrested at Roswell Road apartment after police standoff
- NE Cobb woman arrested for murder at Loch Highland home
- Man arrested after knife threat at East Cobb Wendy’s
- Cobb Sheriff: Deputy killings ‘hurt all of us’
- 3 charged at Chattahoochee NRA Sope Creek after car break-ins
- 2 Cobb sheriff’s deputies killed serving warrant; 2 arrested
- East Cobb man sentenced for child sexual exploitation
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