VALDOSTA, Ga. (WTXL) — Police say witnesses who sprung into action after a suspect's failed attempt to rob a woman at gunpoint led them to arrest two men for the crime.
The Valdosta Police Department says they received a 911 call on Tuesday around 2:30 p.m. The caller reported that an unknown man had just committed an attempted armed robbery in the parking lot of a Walmart in the 300 block of Norman Drive.
When officers arrived, they spoke with the victim who said that she was standing by her car when an unknown man pointed a gun at her and tried to rob her. The victim said that the suspect was unable to get anything from her and began running. That's when the victim started screaming for help in the parking lot.
Police say two citzens who witnessed the incident sprung into action and began following the suspect's 2005 Cadillac Escalade. While following the vehicle, the witnesses called 911 and shared the SUV's tag information over the phone.
Eventually, officers spotted the vehicle on South Saint Augustine Road. Officers, after confirming that the SUV matched witness accounts, then stopped the vehicle and detained two occupants, 18-year-old James Hill and 19-year-old Jalen Jones.
During the investigation, VPD says they recovered a gun and property that had been reported stolen from a separate incident. Luckily, no one was injured in the attempted robbery.
Both Hill and Jones were arrested and taken to the Lowndes County Jail. They have been charged with armed robbery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, theft by receiving stolen property, and tampering with evidence.
