2 charged in string of pedestrian robberies

ATLANTA

ATLANTA — Two men have been charged in a string of pedestrian robberies that occurred in northeast Atlanta late Thursday and early Friday, police said.

Dionyous Hayes and Tyriq Hawkins, both 20, were arrested Friday morning after fleeing East Point officers in a Chevrolet SUV, Atlanta police Sgt. John Chafee said Saturday.

The SUV was linked to the armed robberies of three pedestrians in a span of about 90 minutes the night before, police reports show.

In each case, the victims said they were held at gunpoint by at least three men who stole their belongings before fleeing in a brown SUV, police said.

The first robbery occurred about 11:20 Thursday evening behind the Edgewood Target, according to an incident report.

A woman said she was walking behind the store when two men approached her with guns pointed at her face and instructed her to “Give it up.”

They stole a backpack containing a laptop and books as well as the woman’s cellphone before getting into a Chevy SUV driven by a third suspect, police said.

The woman told officers she believed the first two men had fake guns while the third’s was real. As they drove off, one of the men fired a single shot into the air, but the woman told police it didn’t sound like a real gunshot, according to the report.

About 45 minutes later, Atlanta police received a second call from a man who reported he had been robbed while walking on McClendon Avenue. He said he was approached by three young men who got out of an SUV and demanded his wallet.

A third call was received at 12:44 a.m after another man was robbed while walking on Euclid Avenue, authorities said. He told police his wallet, backpack and cellphone were taken by four men who allegedly pointed a gun at him and said, “You know what time it is. Give it up,” according to the report.