Cartersville Man Sentenced To Prison In Marietta Kidnapping

CARTERSVILLE, GA -- A Cartersville man has been sent to prison for kidnapping a young woman in Marietta. On Wednesday, a Cobb jury convicted Antoine Latroy Williams, 40, of kidnapping, sexual battery, and three counts of simple battery.

Williams first met the victim, who is in her early 20s, in Atlanta on Feb. 25, 2018, and offered her a job. The following day, he went to her workplace in Marietta five times and then waited for her in the parking lot of the Roswell Road business. When she left work, she spoke to him briefly before driving away. Williams followed her in his vehicle until she pulled over a short distance away. He then forced her to get into his car. The woman's vehicle, her purse and even one shoe were left behind in her vehicle as Williams drove her around Cobb County and ultimately to Cartersville. As they drove around, Williams threatened he would hurt her if she tried to escape. He also put his hand on her inner thigh, grabbed her hair, and slapped her hand.
The woman managed to escape when Williams stopped at a QuikTrip in Cartersville.

ADA Norman Barnett, who prosecuted the case with ADA Ashton Murphy, said Williams has a history of victimizing people, including one witness who testified that Williams sexually assaulted her in Los Angeles in 2011.

On Thursday, Cobb Superior Court Judge Stephen Schuster sentenced Williams to 20 years, with 18 years to serve in prison and the rest on probation.

"Every shiny object you dangled in front of this girl: a Mercedes, cash, a phone and a job was just to lure her into your control. I don't see these as tokens of your affection, you were grooming her…pure and simple," Schuster said. "I see you as nothing more than a predator."

Patch Editor Tim Darnell contributed to this reporting.