March 7, 2024

State v. Alexander Amarion Rolax

Decatur, Ga.- DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announces a conviction by jury trial in the case against an Atlanta man accused of a series of crimes within a quarter mile of each other.  

Jurors returned guilty verdicts on Wednesday against Alexander Amarion Rolax, 21, on charges of Malice Murder, Felony Murder, three counts of Aggravated Assault, Armed Robbery, Criminal Attempt to Commit Armed Robbery and three counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony stemming from a series of incidents on June 17 and June 22, 2020.   

According to the investigation, on June 17, 2020, Defendant Rolax went to a convenience store in the 3000 block of Chamblee Dunwoody Road in Chamblee around 9:30 p.m. just before the store closed.  Rolax acted like he was going to make a purchase and when the female clerk opened the cash register, he pulled out a handgun.  The clerk ran to the back of the store to hide, and Defendant Rolax grabbed cash from the register and ran out.

On June 22, 2020, Defendant Rolax went to a convenience store located in the 5000 block of Buford Highway in Doraville just after it opened at around 5 a.m. Defendant Rolax again pretended as though he was going to buy something and demanded money when the clerk opened the cash register.  When the clerk did not follow Defendant Rolax’s orders, Rolax fired two shots towards the clerk and fled.  

At around 10 p.m. the same night, Defendant Rolax shot and killed Santiago Lucas-Lopez, 44, as Lucas-Lopez stood in his driveway on Pearl Lane Court in Chamblee.  Investigators determined Rolax and Lucas-Lopez were strangers and the motive for the shooting was not clear.

Using surveillance video, witness accounts and evidence from the three scenes, police were able to identify Defendant Rolax as the suspect.  Investigators also noted that Defendant Rolax had a distinctive walk, as captured on surveillance.  Police took Defendant Rolax in for questioning on June 25, 2020 and he ultimately confessed to the crimes.  

Immediately following the guilty verdicts DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Shondeana Morris, who presided over the trial, sentenced Defendant Rolax to Life plus 40 years.  

The case, assigned to the Homicide and Gangs Unit, was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Kara Roberts with assistance from Senior Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Scacco, District Attorney Investigator J.B. Williams, and Victim Advocates Jozlyn Varnedoe, Kaysha Albritton, and Christy Palmer.  Sgt. Kyle Colbert and Inv. Loc Tran of the Chamblee Police Department and Inv. Scott Rogers of the Doraville Police Department led the initial investigation.