Suspect in Johnson's crash faces attempted murder charge in separate incident

Holly Sutton
·2 min read

The man accused of crashing his car into the front of Johnson’s Giant Food in Attalla has been charged with attempted murder in an incident earlier that evening.

Police in Rainbow City say Ryan Tyler Watts, 24, broke into a relative’s home June 5, and tried to drown a female. Officers responded to a call around 9:45 p.m. on Royal Troon Way, but Watts was gone when they arrived, said Detective Lt. Jason Higgins.

The damage to the deli area at Johnson's Giant Food in Attalla is shown after a vehicle slammed into the store's brick wall on June 5.
The damage to the deli area at Johnson's Giant Food in Attalla is shown after a vehicle slammed into the store's brick wall on June 5.

About an hour later, Watts’ car rammed into the front deli section of Johnson’s. Because of statements Watts made in Rainbow City, police believe it was intentional.

Watts was unresponsive in his car afterward and was rushed to a hospital where he stayed until July 14, Higgins said. He was arrested as soon as he was released and is being held under a $100,000 cash bond at the Etowah County Detention Center.

A bond reduction hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Aug. 2, according to the clerk’s office. Attorney Ken Robertson has been appointed to represent Watts, but he was unavailable Monday.

As for any charges in Attalla, Chief Investigator Doug Jordan said they are waiting on the owners of the popular grocery spot to decide if they want to press charges.

More: Johnson's Giant Food in Attalla up and running after incident, grateful for support

“We haven’t made up our minds yet,” said Mack Johnson, who owns the chain that also includes two stores in Gadsden and one each in Jacksonville and Oxford.

The charge would be first-degree criminal mischief, but the store owner has up to three years to decide, Jordan said.

Johnson and his “family” of employees have been busy cleaning up and dealing with the aftermath of the wreck.

The store was heavily damaged. Water and gas lines were broken in the deli, plus the sprinklers were pulled from the ceiling. The fryers were turned over, spilling 100 gallons of oil that mixed with the water and ran across the entire floor.

Johnson said he’s still looking into what insurance is going to pay. He estimated the damage to be at least $500,000.

The store on Third Street opened three days after the crash, but Johnson said it would take three months to reopen the deli.

“But slowly but surely we’ve been getting our equipment in,” he said loudly Monday from his tractor at home.

The deli should be open again in August sometime, he said.

The whole mess has been a long, hard road, but everybody has stayed in good spirits.

“Never a dull moment,” he shouted.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Grocery store incident suspect faces charge in separate case