Man wanted for targeting elderly Asian women in Georgia armed robbery
By Carl Samson
October 18, 2023
Police in Gwinnett County, Georgia, are warning the public about a man who followed and robbed two elderly Asian women at gunpoint earlier this month.
What happened: The incident occurred at a Burger King on Duluth Highway in Lawrenceville at around 8 a.m. on Oct. 6. The victims, who were neighbors aged 74 and 75, were having breakfast when the man entered the restaurant and sat at a booth near them.
The suspect waited for over 30 minutes until the women finished their meals and got up to leave. Security video shows the seniors exiting the restaurant and the suspect trailing them.
Just as the victims got into their car, the suspect opened the rear passenger door and boarded the vehicle. Inside, he robbed them at gunpoint.
The aftermath: The suspect managed to get away with some cash, police said. The victims, on the other hand, returned to the restaurant to ask for help.
“They were talking in another language so I couldn’t really understand what they were saying,” Luis Hernandez, who was inside the business, told 11Alive. “They were just scared, shaking.”
The incident stoked fears at nearby establishments. Workers are taking precautions.
“You definitely have to be careful,” Janice Pierce told WSB-TV. “When I come to my car I have my keys, getting in, closing up, and doing all that.”
What police are saying: Gwinnett police are raising the alarm on the suspect, who remains at large. The breakfast incident, they said, was an uncommon time for robbery.
“It seems to be kind of an opportunistic thing that this individual decided to follow these two out and get in their car and demand some money from them,” said Gwinnett County Police Corporal Ryan Winderweedle. “And he’s considered to be dangerous, he could be out there with a firearm in his possession.”
What to watch out for: Police described the suspect as a young Hispanic man. He was last seen wearing an L.A. Dodgers hat (with a decal on the bill), a black jacket and multicolored (black, blue and white) plaid pants and carrying a crossbody bag.
Anyone with information on the suspect is urged to call Gwinnett police at 770-513-5300. Tips may also be submitted at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or www.stopcrimeATL.com.
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