Three arrested for attempted robbery near Tech

Atlanta police are investigating whether the three men arrested Sunday for attempted robbery near Georgia Tech were involved in a recent rash of crime in that area.

Sunday’s incident occurred around 3 a.m. at Spring and 4th Streets, said Atlanta Police Department Sgt. Reginald Moorman. Police say the suspects, driving a maroon Ford Crown Victoria, accosted a pedestrian, brandished a gun and demanded money. At that point a Georgia Tech police officer drove by the scene and the robbers fled, Moorman said.

The victim, whose name has not been released, is not a Georgia Tech student, Moorman said.

They suspects were later apprehended at North Avenue and Cherry Street and identified as Justin Johnson, 21; Dandre Barnwell, 19; and Xavier Mosteller, 21. The men have been charged with armed robbery and aggravated assault and are being held at Fulton County Jail.

Police found a loaded AK-47, military-style body armor and a ski mask inside the suspects’ vehicle, Moorman said.

“These guys are very dangerous and it looked like they were prepared to face anything,” he said.

Moorman said the APD is investigating possible gang connections and whether the suspects were involved in previous robberies in the area. More than a dozen robberies have been reported in the Georgia Tech area since February.

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