Friday the 13th was the unluckiest of days for two cousins from the Savannah area who were charged by Fairburn Police with possession of firearms and counterfeit bills. One of the men was also identified in a March armed robbery at a Fairburn grocery store.

Garron Campbell, 20, of Savannah, was charged with first degree forgery, felony obstruction, armed robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, carrying a concealed weapon and cruelty to children, according to Chief Charles Long. Campbell’s cousin, 24 year-old Gary Campbell, also of Savannah, was charged with felony possession of a firearm, cruelty to children, forgery and carrying a weapon without a license, Long said. Other charges against one or both men are pending, said Long.

The April 13 incident began as Officer Esli Roque was patrolling his route in the historic district at approximately 2 p.m. when he noticed a vehicle circling United Community Bank on Washington Street. Roque observed the vehicle as it drove around the area of the bank several times. Roque stopped the vehicle on Smith Street and approached the car as other officers responded to the traffic stop.

As he approached the vehicle bearing Savannah-area plates, Roque ordered the driver to exit the car after witnessing him attempt to grab for something under the front seat, officers said. The driver, identified later as Garron Campbell, exited the vehicle but could not produce any identification, Roque said, and quickly began to flee. As the driver began to run the man in the passenger seat, later identified as Gary Campbell, quickly moved to the driver’s side of the car but remained in place. The driver was caught by officers two blocks away, said Long. A search of the men revealed that both were in possession of 9 mm handguns and more than $600 in counterfeit bills. Both men were arrested at the scene.

The other passengers in the vehicle were brothers of Garron Campbell, a two year-old and 16 year-old. Both reside in Fairburn with their mother who had recently moved to the city from Florida, officers said.

A subsequent check by Fairburn officers revealed that Garron Campbell was wanted by Glynn County on four counts of aggravated assault and was included on the county’s 10 Most Wanted list.

Garron Campbell was later identified in a photo line-up in connection with a March 26 armed robbery at Canapusa grocery store on Senoia Road, Long said.

“This was evidence of a cop doing his job,” Long said. “Roque caught them appearing to case the bank and he may have thwarted a robbery. And his intervention got two more guns off the street.”

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