Clayton News Daily

A Clayton County grand jury has indicted a man in connection with an alleged armed robbery of a Morrow check-cashing store last June.

Joseph Lee Morris, 34, was indicted Wednesday on charges of burglary, aggravated assault, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, possession of tools for the commission of a crime, and obstructing an officer, according to Clayton County Superior Court documents.

The alleged burglary occurred June 9, at the Nice Check Cashing Center, located at 6705 Jonesboro Rd., in Morrow, according to the indictment.

According to a warrantless arrest affidavit filed in Clayton County Magistrate Court by the Morrow Police Department, Morris entered a vacant building next door to the check-cashing store, by prying open the rear door on the west side of the building.

"Said offender ... then cut the sheetrock separating suite A and suite B ... and approached a female employee of the Nice Check Cashing, while holding a handgun, and instructing the female to place money inside of a black bag," Officer Brian Hill wrote in the affidavit.

Morris, then, allegedly ran from the building, exiting through a side door, Hill wrote in the document. As Morris exited the door, he was confronted by a Morrow police officer, who gave Morris "clear, verbal orders to stop," Hill said in the affidavit.

"Morris continued to ignore [the officer's] command, and continued running west on Mt. Zion Road, where he was stopped and arrested," the document states.

According to online court records, Morris has been assigned to the Clayton County Circuit Public Defender's office for representation. A call to that office was not returned on Thursday.