Authorities arrested one man and are searching for another in the fatal beating of a 57-year-old man last month during a robbery at a DeKalb County bus stop.
According to police, the attack occurred just after 10 p.m. Aug. 17 at the stop near the intersection of Wesley Chapel and Snapfinger roads.
The victim, identified as Bruce Mitchell, had his bag snatched by one of the suspects before being “sucker punched” by the other, DeKalb police said Thursday evening in a tweet.
Surveillance footage from a MARTA bus appears to show Mitchell struggling with the man who took his bag when a second suspect, identified by police as Joel Godwin Baker of Ellenwood, runs up from behind and punches the 57-year-old, causing him to fall to the ground.
Mitchell suffered a “severe laceration” to the back of his head and died a few days later, DeKalb police said. His official cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the skull.
According to the police report, the bus driver told officers she saw the second man kick Mitchell while he was on the ground. The first suspect then went through his pockets and took his wallet.
Baker was arrested Thursday on charges of murder and robbery by force, DeKalb County jail records show. He is being held without bond.
Investigators are still looking to identify the man who initiated the attack, however. Police said he left the scene after getting into a gray SUV. Anyone who recognizes him or has any information about the case is as asked to call 911 or DeKalb detectives at 770-724-7850.
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