Suspect In Wendy's Arson Arrested, Lawyer Confirms She Knew Brooks

KEY POINTS

The suspect for burning down the Wendy's where Rayshard Brooks died is now in custody
It was earlier suggested that Brooks and the suspect knew each other
Her lawyer confirmed that she and Brooks were 'close friends'
He did not further comment on their relationship

The suspect for burning down the Atlanta Wendys where Rayshard Brooks was killed by authorities last June 12 is now under police custody. The suspect’s lawyer has confirmed that his client and Brooks knew each other.

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) announced that the Wendy’s arson suspect, Natalie White, is now in custody. The arrest on Tuesday (June 23) was made thanks to a collaboration with Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, which reportedly followed White’s mother into an attorney’s office and there photographed a woman with White’s description.

The FCSO Fugitive Unit had been in talks with the attorney to negotiate White’s surrender. When FCSO deputies went into the office to meet with the attorney, they confirmed White’s presence and identity and, took her into custody.

She is now facing charges of first-degree arson, which is a felony in the state of Georgia.

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Earlier, there were reports that the suspect may have known Brooks as body cam footage from the night of Brooks’s death showed him mentioning the name Natalie White, noting that she was his girlfriend.

However, it was not immediately clear whether the suspect was the same Natalie White that that Brooks mentioned in the video.

Now, White’s lawyer, Drew Findling, has confirmed that White is the woman that Brooks mentioned in the video.

“[White and Brooks] were close friends,” Findling told The New York Post. However, he did not further comment on the exact relationship between White and Brooks “out of respect” for his family.

Brooks was married to Tomika Miller and leaves behind three daughters and a teenage stepson. He was remembered at his funeral as a hardworking family man.

His death at the hands of authorities on the evening of June 12 escalated the protests that were already ongoing after the recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. The day after Brooks’s death, protesters torched the Wendys where he died, with White being a suspect.

However, authorities noted that there were at least 10 attempts to set the building on fire, and they started the one that gutted the restaurant in multiple locations. It is possible that others may also be involved in the arson.