Frank James Hawkins Jr., of 939 Cleo St., Cedartown, who was 17 at the time of the incident, was found guilty in Polk County Superior Court of kidnapping, aggravated assault, armed robbery and possession of a firearm in the commission of a crime. He was found not guilty on a separate aggravated assault charge and a rape charge.
Sentencing is set for Nov. 17. Superior Court Judge Richard Sutton said he wanted to hold sentencing at a later time in order for the courts to do a proper pre-sentencing investigation.
Hawkins was arrested last April by Cedartown police after the victim called 911.
The victim, whose name is being withheld in keeping with The Polk Fishwrap's policy in sexual assault cases, had been shot in the leg with a small caliber handgun. She was treated at Floyd Medical Center in Rome.
According to the initial investigation, Hawkins was a passenger in the woman's vehicle. The victim said Hawkins threatened her at gunpoint and forced her to drive to a local bank. She was then forced to withdraw money from her checking account through the automatic teller machine, still at gunpoint, police said.
At some point during this kidnapping and armed robbery incident, the woman was shot. Her passenger then forced her, still at gunpoint, to drive him to another location in Cedartown, where he exited the vehicle.
Based on a description and other information from a witness, an arrest warrant was issued the next morning and Hawkins was taken into custody.
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