A woman who was walking her dog on the Atlanta Beltline earlier this week was approached by a man acting suspiciously, police said.
When she tried to get away, the man lunged after her, violently grabbing her hair and demanding her cellphone, according to an Atlanta police incident report. The woman was able to escape with her phone, but police want the man in custody.
“Investigators are diligently working to identify the male responsible and get him off the streets,” police spokeswoman Officer TaSheena Brown said in a statement. “... We take the safety of those on the Beltline very seriously and our officers will remain vigilant and continue to show their presence along the Beltline.”
The woman was walking near Inman Way in Inman Park about 3 p.m. Wednesday when the man approached her, according to the report. When he walked toward her, he was making a gun gesture with his hands, she told officers.
During the attack, the woman was pushed to the ground and suffered minor injuries. She screamed and her dog barked, which scared off the would-be thief, authorities said.
The suspect, who was described as a light-skinned black man with freckles on his face, was last seen wearing “light blue scrubs with an oversized navy blue shirt with one sleeve green and the other red,” the report said. He had an Afro and was about 6-foot-2, the woman told officers.
Within the past year, several other robberies have been reported along the Beltline, with some taking place near this scene.
Last Easter Sunday, an 11-year-old boy and a 12-year-old boy were arrested after being accused of robbing a woman at gunpoint near Lawton Street, AJC.com previously reported.
RELATED: Atlanta police: Robbery by preteens is rare felony on Beltline
In October, an alleged purse-snatcher tried to run away after stealing a woman’s bag in Inman Park, but he was chased down by several bystanders who pinned him to the ground until police arrived.
MORE: 2 witnesses chase down alleged thief on Beltline, hold him down for police
And two weeks ago, a man who robbed a jogger at gunpoint on Memorial Day in the 1100 block of Harwell Street was convicted of the crime along with several others, receiving a 20-year prison sentence.
RELATED: Man sentenced for robbing Beltline jogger at gunpoint during monthlong crime spree
Anyone with information about Wednesday's attempted robbery is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477 or online at www.StopCrimeATL.com. Tips can be sent anonymously and information that leads to an arrest and indictment in this investigation can earn tipsters up to $2,000.
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