Arrest Made In Slaying Of Father At Norcross Gas Station

NORCROSS, GA -- Law enforcement officials believe a brief argument last month at a Valero gas station on Norcross led to a fatal shooting that claimed the life of an Eastern European immigrant who had come to America for a better life.

Vitali Mialik, 34, had lived in Suwanee for nearly a decade. He was trying to save up enough money so that he could bring his wife, 4-year-old son and a 2-month-old daughter to the United States from his native Belarus.

Shortly after 11 p.m. on Feb. 3, Mialik, as he had probably done scores of times, stopped in the gas station in the 1700 block of Beaver Ruin Road to purchase an item. Two suspects pulled up in an SUV shortly after and entered the store as well, police said.

For reasons that remains inexplicable at this point, words were exchanged between the parties and one of the men in the SUV grabbed an assault rifle and shot Mialik in the neck before the two sped off, police said.

Gwinnett law enforcement authorities found Mialik's body in the gas station parking lot.

The slaying set off a massive manhunt as police used surveillance video to generate tips and leads in the case.

It all culminated Thursday with the arrest of 19-year-old Nickolas Young, who was taken into custody at a residence off Collins Hill Road, according to police.

A second suspect around the same age and height as Young is being sought in the slaying as well.

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