Suspect arrested in Villa Rica home invasion over debt

Vill Rica home invasion closed after second arrest

Villa Rica police say a home invasion case from more than five-months ago has been solved with the arrest of the suspected attacker. Investigators say Joshua Henry pistol-whipped a man during a violent break-in and had been on the run ever since. Police later discovered Henry was already in custody at the Cobb County Jail on unrelated charges.

VILLA RICA, Ga. - Villa Rica police say a home invasion case from more than five-months ago has been solved with the arrest of the suspected attacker.

What we know:

Investigators say Joshua Henry pistol-whipped a man during a violent break-in and had been on the run ever since. Police later discovered Henry was already in custody at the Cobb County Jail on unrelated charges.

The attack, which happened in April in a tight-knit Villa Rica community, began over a family dispute. Police say the victim owed money to his daughter, Ambrea Cosby, who showed up at his home with Henry to collect.

"The father owed the daughter some money. Daughter showed up to collect. He didn’t have the money at the time. So, she and her boyfriend attacked the father," police said.

Investigators believe the debt was around $500 to $1,000.

According to police, Henry entered the home wearing a ski mask and beat the victim repeatedly, leaving him injured so badly he had to be transferred to Grady Memorial Hospital.

"The father had paid back over half of what was owed … she had sent him some text messages asking for him to pay her. He said I will pay you back on [a] date in the future and that just wasn’t good enough," police said.

Cosby was arrested shortly after the attack. Henry’s capture now closes the case.

The backstory:

Police said they were not aware of any previous violence between the father and daughter, but called the incident a family situation that spiraled out of control over an unpaid debt.