Following a jury trial, Andre Demond Traylor appeals his conviction for kidnapping with bodily injury,1 challenging only the sufficiency of the evidence as to the asportation element of the kidnapping. Because we reversed —on the same ground —the kidnapping conviction of Traylor’s co-defendant, see Harper v. State ,2 we hold that the same record and evidence require a reversal of Traylor’s kidnapping conviction here. Of course, this holding does not affect Traylor’s other convictions arising out of the trial, as Traylor does not challenge those convictions in any way. We reverse the kidnapping conviction only. When reviewing a defendant’s challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence, we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the jury’s verdict, and the defendant no longer enjoys the presumption of innocence. Short v. State .3 We do not weigh the evidence or determine witness credibility, but only determine if the evidence was sufficient for a rational trier of fact to find the defendant guilty of the charged offense beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia .4
Harper , supra, 300 Ga. App. at 757-759, sets forth in detail the evidence presented at the trial. For purposes of this opinion, it is sufficient to recount only the following facts: On March 31, 2003, Traylor and three other men wearing gloves and masks or bandanas over their faces burst into a jewelry store. They had hammers and a gun. One of the men pointed the gun at the store manager. The men threatened to kill the employees and shoppers, who all complied with their orders to get down on the floor. The men smashed the glass showcases, swiping jewelry pieces from them. One of the men pressed the gun to the head of an employee. Then several of the men pulled that employee off the floor by her neck, arm, and pants and dragged her about 15 feet across the showroom floor to the store’s locked safe, kicking her as well. Along the way to the safe, she sustained a torn rotator cuff. That employee complied with their demands to unlock the safe, and the men emptied most of the jewelry out of it. Within two minutes of having burst into the store, the men darted out, carrying with them a considerable amount of the store’s jewelry in dark bags and various other containers. Outside, the gunman realized that they were being watched by a bystander. The gunman pointed the gun at the bystander and ordered him to turn around, and the bystander complied. The four masked men hurried into a car that was parked curbside, then sped away. Id. at 757-758. Police soon apprehended Traylor and the others in a car speeding away from the scene, which car contained jewelry, a gun, and other paraphernalia associated with the robbery.
