Teen flips attacker during brawl over prom dress in Gwinnett, police say
A planned prom dress sale between former friends spiraled into a violent altercation at a Gwinnett gas station, with surveillance footage capturing the moment an 18-year-old victim flipped one of her attackers to the ground in self-defense.
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Gwinnett County Police arrested three suspects following the Feb. 26 confrontation at the RaceTrac on Beaver Ruin Road near Norcross.
'It appears that all the individuals knew each other or had some familiarization with each other,' said Gwinnett County Cpl. Juan Madiedo.
According to police reports, the victim had agreed to meet her former friend, 20-year-old Morgan Flinchum, at the gas station to sell a prom dress. The dress had originally belonged to Flinchum, but the victim's mother had helped pay for it, per the police report. As part of the exchange, they went into the store's restroom so Flinchum could try it on.
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While inside, an unidentified friend of Flinchum grabbed the dress and ran. The victim rushed out, attempting to stop the individual. A male witness with her managed to retrieve the dress, but tensions escalated as the group moved near the gas pumps, according to the report.
Moments later, the victim was surrounded by Flinchum, Kaylee George, and Lelia DeJager, according to Gwinnett County police.
'There was a dispute, which ultimately was a civil issue between the dress and money owed to one of the parties. Obviously, in the video, you can see it became physical, and that's when 911 was called.'
According to police, surveillance footage shows one of the suspects choking the victim, who then flipped her attacker over her shoulder in a defensive move.
'There was a victim being surrounded by multiple individuals,' said Madiedo.
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The victim told police she could not breathe while being choked, which triggered her self-defense response. After the flip, tensions remained high. As they waited for officers to arrive, another fight broke out when Flinchum allegedly swung at the victim, though the male witness stepped in to separate them. A second unidentified individual then grabbed the victim's hair, leading to another brief struggle.
Police arrived and reviewed store surveillance video of the incident. Officers documented visible injuries on the victim. The suspects later turned themselves in.
Investigators charged Flinchum, George, and DeJager with theft on Feb. 27. DeJager and Flinchum both face additional battery charges.
Authorities say this case highlights the risks of meeting in unsecured locations for online transactions.
'Here in Gwinnett County, all of our police precincts, including our headquarters here, have designated e-commerce parking,' said Madiedo. We invite any citizen out there, if you're looking to make a transaction, sell any items or purchase an item online, meet that person at one of our designated e-commerce locations.'
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