Dec. 31, 2012 – A Gainesville man has been charged for Friday’s shooting death at the Hall County auto dealership.

Mark Antonio Taylor II has been charged with murder and is being held without bail at the Hall County Jail.

He also faces charges of armed robbery, theft by taking of a motor vehicle and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

Cpl. Kevin Holbrook, Gainesville police spokesman, said, “This is believed to have been a random crime, [and] there is no indication that the victim or the Carriage Auto Group was specifically targeted.”

At about 8 AM Friday the Gainesville police were called to Carriage Mitsubishi on Browns Bridge Road, where an employee found Charles Weaver’s body in the rear of the complex.

42 year old Weaver lived in Gainesville.

Authorities said the shooting likely occurred in the early morning hours Friday, or before the business was open to customers.

Police, discovering that a red 2011 Nissan Frontier pickup truck with dealership markings was missing, said they believe it was stolen from the scene.

Law enforcement got a break in the case Saturday when authorities, acting on a tip, found the truck in Atlanta.
“The vehicle was very distinctive,” Holbrook said Sunday. “It was our thoughts that the vehicle would stand out to the public.”

Holbrook said, “We were able to execute a search warrant (Sunday) morning in Atlanta with assistance of the Atlanta Police Department.”

Holbrook said that “many agencies worked together to solve this case and bring closure to the victim’s family, friends and co-workers.”

Holbrook reported that the case is still under investigation, but they are confident that Mark Taylor is the one responsible for this crime and are not currently seeking anyone else in connection to it.

The company is offering a $10,000 reward in the case.

———

The Gainesville Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance in
locating information that may assist investigators in the murder investigation
of Charles Weaver.

Investigators are seeking any information from individuals who may have
been in the area of Brown’s Bridge Road during the early morning hours of
Friday, December 28, 2012.

Investigators are asking the public to come forward if they noticed any
suspicious vehicles or persons travelling in the area or anything out of the
ordinary, particularly between 5:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. in the Brown’s Bridge/
McEver Road corridor. This is a highly travelled area; we are hoping that
someone may have noticed something that will further assist detectives in the
investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Gainesville Police
Departments Criminal Investigations Division at (678)-450-5076 or you may
utilize our tips line at (770)-533-5873.

Please be mindful that even the smallest piece of information can yield large
results. We encourage anyone with any information to come forward. The
family at Carriage Automotive Group is offering a $10,000.00 reward in the
case.