Getaway Driver Sentenced to 20 Years in Macon Carjacking Committed by Teenagers

MACON, Ga. – A man who admitted driving the getaway vehicle during a carjacking in which masked, armed suspects confronted a couple outside their Macon home has been sentenced to 20 years.

Wali Cooke was sentenced on August 5, 2026, in Bibb County Superior Court after pleading guilty to one count of Robbery by Force. He received a 20-year sentence, with the first 10 years to be served in prison.

The case stems from a carjacking on May 1, 2023, on Mint Green Lane.

According to the Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, the victims were pulling into the driveway of their residence when a white SUV approached.

A group of armed men wearing masks got out of the SUV and demanded the couple’s Nissan at gunpoint. The suspects then fled with the stolen vehicle.

Cooke Admitted Driving Getaway Vehicle

During a subsequent interview with investigators, Cooke admitted traveling to the scene with his codefendants and serving as the getaway driver while the other suspects held the victims at gunpoint and took their vehicle.

Cooke was 17 years old at the time of the robbery and was considered an adult under Georgia law.

Investigators identified two of Cooke’s codefendants as Kristopher Whitaker and Kendall Whitaker.

Both have been charged with Armed Robbery but have not yet been tried. Prosecutors said the Whitakers were juveniles when the carjacking occurred but are being prosecuted as adults because of the severity of the charges against them.

“It’s alarming that a crime like this was carried out by teenagers,” Macon Judicial Circuit District Attorney Anita Howard said.

Howard said Cooke’s sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime while also pointing to the need for early intervention programs aimed at preventing youth violence.

“Prosecution alone cannot and will not end youth violence,” Howard said. “We have to be intentionally proactive in an effort to prevent it.”

The charges against Kristopher and Kendall Whitaker remain allegations, and they are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.