Local

Mother turns in son after seeing beating video on news

ATLANTA — After seeing security video of a brutal beating on Channel 2 Action News, a mother recognized her own teenaged son as one of the assailants and turned him over to police.

Anthony Tucker, 17, is accused of taking part in the beating and robbery of 52-year-old Papa Diaby outside the Discount Mall on Godby Road on June 29.  Diaby is a father of six. 

The beating was so severe doctors at Grady Hospital kept him in ICU for two weeks with a brain injury, according to Diaby's family.

"We put it on TV, and the perp's mother identified him, brought him in and turned him in to us," said College Park Police Maj. E.W. Strozier.  "It takes a lot of guts, and we're lucky she had the guts to do it."

Police said the security camera video shows Tucker walking through the Discount Mall acting as a lookout.  They said he alerted three of his friends when Diaby exited the building. 

The video clearly shows three people beating Diaby then stealing his mini-van.  Police later recovered the mini-van in Clayton County.  They said the suspects attempted to burn it but failed.

Diaby's nephew, Mohamed Drammeh, said doctors moved his uncle out of ICU Thursday, but added his uncle still suffers from a brain injury.

"We hope for a good recovery," said Drammeh.  "Based on what the doctors are saying right now, it's going to be a long road ahead for the family and everybody, but we hope he's going to make a good recovery."

Drammeh said Diaby's entire family is on vacation in Africa and is unable to return quickly to the United States. 

Drammeh also had praise for the mother who turned in her son. He hopes others will turn in the three remaining suspects, too.

"Someone out there knows them, and someone can definitely do the same thing as this mom did to turn them into the police," said Drammeh.

Drammeh added the family is attempting to finalize a reward fund for the arrest and conviction of the suspects.