North Fulton County

Good Samaritan robbed after offering ride to woman in distress

ROSWELL, Ga. — Police are warning the public about a couple who appear to be pretending to need help, then robbing people.

Police say a good Samaritan was robbed after giving a woman a ride from a gas station in Roswell recently.

Channel 2′s Mike Petchenik was at a Chevron Station on Holcomb Bridge Road where police say the woman, who appeared to be in distress, asked a man pumping gas for help.

Roswell police officer Sean Thompson said the man initially resisted, but finally gave in.

"She continually tried to get a ride from him. She was shivering, it was cold, so he felt bad for her," Thompson said.

Thompson said once the woman was in the car, she changed her mind about where she wanted to go, and asked the man to drive her to a nearby hotel.

"The victim drove the female to the backside of LaQuinta in the parking lot," Thompson said. "As he was dropping her off, a black male came and opened the passenger-side door and had a gun in his waistband."

Police said the robber took cash and the man's car keys and ran off.

Police are now warning people up and down Holcomb Bridge Road about the woman and reminding them not to offer rides to strangers, no matter what the circumstances.

"The guy was doing the right thing by saying he can't give you a ride," Thompson said.

A customer at the Chevron, Bryant Togbashi, said it's a shame a good deed can't go unpunished.

“You’re doing something nice for somebody and it ends up being bad,” Togbashi said.