Alleged tip jar thief dies in pond after trying to get away from officers, police say

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GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A man suspected of stealing a tip jar from a Georgia restaurant Sunday night died after fleeing the scene, authorities said.

Police officers and firefighters in Gwinnett County, Georgia, said they tried to save the robbery suspect, who crashed into a pond Sunday night.

They told Atlanta's WSB-TV that the suspect robbed Italian Pie, a restaurant on Beaver Ruin Road in Lilburn, about 6 p.m.

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Police followed the suspect and tried to stop his car off Steve Reynolds Boulevard, authorities said. After the suspect ran off the road, police found the vehicle upside-down in a retention pond, authorities said.

The suspect has been identified as Jaylen Purge, 18, police said.

Officials told WSB-TV's Rikki Klaus that the tip jar had about $100 in it, plus change.

– Visit WSBTV.com for the latest on this developing story.