In the late evening of September 16, 2017, Martin Hvizda, a 31-year-old male, was at an Exxon gas station on Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard in southwest Atlanta when he became the victim of a fatal carjacking. Hvizda was shot and killed during the confrontation, and the assailants fled the scene in his silver Infiniti FX.
The investigation into Hvizda's death quickly focused on a group of individuals. Surveillance footage from the gas station captured images of four suspects.
Public appeals for information, including a Crime Stoppers reward, led to a significant break in the case. Tips from the public were instrumental in identifying a primary suspect.
In November 2017, police arrested 17-year-old Detavion Veal in connection with the murder. Veal was charged with murder, felony theft by receiving stolen property, and several traffic-related offenses. Authorities stated that Veal was the gunman in the incident. While Veal was taken into custody, law enforcement continued to seek three other individuals who were with him at the time of the deadly carjacking. The motive for the crime appeared to be the theft of Hvizda's vehicle, with one police major suggesting the suspects were 'just looking for a ride home.'
