The Carrollton Police Department is currently on the lookout for two teenage boys suspected of an armed robbery that occurred on the Greenbelt. The incident, which took place in the vicinity of Burns Road and Cedar Street on Tuesday afternoon, involved the theft of a city contractor's vehicle and wallet while he was engaged in the task of sign repair, as per reports from FOX 5 Atlanta.
The victim was beckoned by one of the youths and subsequently threatened with a firearm by the other. This took place as he was driving a side-by-side utility vehicle. The harrowing situation escalated quickly, with the worker being punched in the eye, thereby forcing him to, under duress, hand over his belongings. Although the stolen items were later found abandoned nearby, the suspects remain at large. The police described the assailants as young black males, between the ages of 12 and 14, with the first suspect being around 5 feet tall and the second between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 8 inches tall.
According to a report by WSB-TV, the victim, though shaken, is in stable condition. Carrollton Police Lt. Blake Hitchcock conveyed that the victim is "doing OK" in the aftermath of the crime. Locals, such as Carrollton resident Daniel Hulsey, expressed their astonishment regarding the brazen nature of the crime, particularly happening mid-day, "That’s crazy. At 1:30. I thought you were talking about nighttime. But to be at 1:30 is absolutely nuts."
Community members like Hulsey, along with others who frequent the Greenbelt, voiced their concerns but also a steadfast determination not to allow this incident to deter them from enjoying the trail. "It will make me more aware," Hulsey stated, highlighting a sentiment of heightened vigilance. Others, like Maryann and Larry Smith, also spoke of taking precautions, telling WSB-TV, "Well, we do always have our phones. (We do). And we don’t walk alone."
The Carrollton Police Department urges anyone with information pertinent to these suspects or the incident to make contact either by calling 911 or through their direct line at 770-834-4451.
