Residents of Berkley Hills Estates in Gwinnett County found themselves in the midst of chaos Monday afternoon when a man drove erratically through the neighborhood, damaging 30 vehicles in his path.
Videos of the incident were shared online, showing a Mercedes G500 weaving through yards and crashing into parked cars in driveways and doing donuts in yards.
Shortly after 2:45 p.m., the Gwinnett Police responded to calls from alarmed residents. By the time officers arrived, both the suspect and the vehicle had fled the scene. The police were subsequently approached by 28 victims, recounting the damages they had suffered.
The vehicle linked to the incident, a Mercedes G500, was located approximately two hours later, abandoned at a tire repair shop about four miles from Berkley Hills Estates. The suspect, identified as Patrick Humes, 37, from Athens, was located at a nearby McDonald’s and arrested in connection with the damage. Humes now faces 28 counts of Criminal Damage to Property.
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While some Berkley Hills Estates residents reported hearing what they believed to be gunshots during the disturbance, the Gwinnett Police found no evidence that Humes had fired a gun, and no firearms were recovered from him or his vehicle.
According to the Gwinnett County Police Department, initial investigations indicate that Humes may have been undergoing a mental health crisis at the time of the incident. However, the exact motive for his actions remains unclear.
The Gwinnett Police are continuing their investigations into this unsettling event that has rocked the Berkley Hills Estates community.
[Case Number: GP230065053].
⚠️ Reminder: Crime articles contain only charges and information from police reports and law enforcement statements. Suspects and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
