A man was approached, assaulted and robbed in downtown Atlanta before sunrise over the weekend, and police are still working to identify the two people responsible. The attack happened at approximately 2:56 a.m. on Oct. 25 at 1 Marietta St. NW, right in the heart of downtown.
According to FOX 5 Atlanta, the two suspects approached the victim and got into a physical altercation with him before taking his property and fleeing on foot. Atlanta police reported that the pair assaulted the victim during the encounter and made off with his belongings before disappearing into the early-morning darkness.
Police Turn to the Public for Help
With no arrests announced, the Atlanta Police Department's robbery unit is now asking anyone who recognizes the two people from shared video and photos, or who has any other information about the case, to come forward. The department has asked the public specifically to help identify the pair responsible for the attack.
Crime Stoppers Atlanta is sweetening the pot for anyone willing to talk. The organization is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest, and tipsters are allowed to remain anonymous when they call in what they know.
Part of a Troubling Pattern Nearby
The Marietta Street robbery comes amid a string of similarly violent street crimes reported elsewhere in the city. Separate reporting from AJC describes police releasing photos of two men suspected in separate violent robberies in northwest Atlanta, with investigators asking for the public's help locating them as well.
In one of those incidents, which AJC reports took place Oct. 1 in the Marietta Street Artery near Georgia Tech, a suspect posing as a good Samaritan offered to help a man who had forgotten where he parked his car. Once they found the vehicle, the suspect allegedly pulled out a handgun and stole it outright; the car was recovered several days later, according to the outlet. A second incident described in that same report happened at a convenience store about three miles away. It remains unclear whether either of those cases is connected to the attack on Marietta Street NW.
How to Report a Tip
Anyone with details about the Oct. 25 assault and robbery is urged to contact Crime Stoppers Atlanta. The reward offer and the option for anonymity are both meant to encourage witnesses or anyone who can identify the suspects from released images to speak up, even if they'd rather not give their name to police directly.
