Sexual Assault Suspect Captured After Atlanta Police Appeal; Faces Rape and Burglary Charges

ATLANTA, Georgia — Kwame Shabazz was taken into custody Thursday, February 5, 2026, by the Gwinnett County Police Department and has been extradited to the Atlanta Police Department in connection with a Buckhead sexual assault. He is awaiting transfer to the Fulton County Jail.

Shabazz is charged with Rape, Sexual Battery, Aggravated Sexual Battery, False Imprisonment, Hindering a Person Making an Emergency Call, Burglary, and Aggravated Assault.

Earlier that day, Atlanta Police held a press conference seeking the public’s help in locating Shabazz. Major Crimes Section Commander Captain Germain Dearlove and Special Victims Unit Commander Lieutenant Rodney Crosby addressed the case.

Police identified Shabazz as the suspect in a January 22, 2026 sexual assault at an apartment complex in the 700 block of Cosmopolitan Drive NE in Buckhead. Investigators said Shabazz forced his way into the victim’s apartment and raped her. The victim did not know Shabazz and called 911 immediately after the assault.

Surveillance video captured Shabazz leaving the apartment and walking away from the scene, according to police.

The following day, a second woman reported that Shabazz exposed himself in the 2200 block of Piedmont Avenue NE, near the location of the assault. Both women later identified Shabazz in a lineup.

Georgia Department of Corrections records show Shabazz was previously convicted of attempted murder in 2015. While serving that sentence, he escaped from the Atlanta Transitional Center in April 2020.

The investigation remains ongoing.