DeKalb man accused of robbery, threatening child with gun

DeKALB – A DeKalb man was charged with armed robbery after police alleged he broke into a DeKalb apartment, threatened a 14-year-old with a gun and stole a firearm and about $2,000 in cash, according to court records.

Nathaniel T. Milton, 49, of DeKalb was charged April 26 with armed robbery, aggravated robbery and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon in the incident reported to DeKalb police April 13, according to DeKalb County court records.

DeKalb police responded to an apartment on Crane Drive around 7:24 p.m. April 13 for a reported robbery. Through the investigation, police learned that Milton allegedly entered the apartment through an unlocked door while a 14-year-old was inside at the time, records show.

The teenager told police Milton allegedly said that a woman “had stolen his key and wallet,” and asked the minor where the woman’s gun was, according to court records filed April 16.

The teenager told police that Milton “held his hand behind his back and told him that he had a gun,” which the teenager believed, so he complied with the man, police wrote in court records.

The teenager then went to a bedroom and opened a locked box which held a real firearm.

“Milton told [the teenager] not to touch the gun after opening the box and took the gun and loaded magazine,” police wrote in court records.

Milton then allegedly pushed the real gun into the teenager’s side and told him to come into the woman’s bedroom. The teen complied and held up the woman’s mattress while Milton looked for a wallet, according to court records.

Milton allegedly told the teenager not to tell police or the woman would get into trouble. When Milton left the apartment, the teenager called police, according to court records.

In a police interview, Milton told investigators his visit to the woman’s apartment allegedly was pre-arranged with the woman’s consent and told police he later returned the woman’s gun. Police wrote, however, that the firearm had not been recovered at the time of the report filed in court April 26. Police also found “selfie-style” photographs on Milton’s phone of him holding the woman’s gun.

Milton was ordered detained by Circuit Court Judge Philip Montgomery in a pretrial release hearing this week, after prosecutors argued Milton’s criminal history and alleged threats to a minor made him a threat to the public. Milton also is a convicted felon and prohibited by law from carrying a firearm, prosecutor Brooks Locke of the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office said Monday.

“Most importantly, the gun has not been recovered, and should the defendant be released he could be able to potentially gain access to that firearm based on where he placed it,” Locke said in his argument.

As the prosecutor spoke, Milton could be seen shaking his head. At one point, Milton asked why he couldn’t say anything, and said, “I ain’t been in no trouble in 25 years.”

His defense lawyer, Brian Crawley of the DeKalb County Public Defender’s Office, argued that Milton’s criminal history was not recent.

“For the last 25 years or so, he has only been involved in minor traffic citations, no run-ins with the law since 1991,” Crawley said in a hearing Monday. “Based on that and lack of violent history, we would ask he be released.”

Montgomery said at the time of the alleged robbery that Milton also was on conditional discharge for two prior offenses of driving on a suspended license.

Milton is expected to appear for a status hearing at 1:30 p.m. May 9.