DECATUR, Ga. – Decatur police have arrested two men accused of shooting a landscaper during an attempted robbery.

Surveillance video provided to FOX 5 shows the moments Jonquai Holt, 17, and Jeffrey Thorpe, 22, ran through nearby yards trying to escape after the shooting.

Lt. Decatur Police John Bender said the two men robbed a landscaping crew just after 5 p.m. near the intersection of Clairmont Avenue and Maediris Drive. Police reported that a man was shot during the incident and taken to the hospital.

“I was kind of shocked,” said Josh Rich, a nearby resident. “There is a lot of traffic in the afternoon and it turns a long way. There is a children’s bus stop on the corner. All this could have happened at that time.”

Residents like Rich have expressed concern about safety in the area and called for an increased police presence.

“This is a pretty quiet neighborhood, but in the last year, I’ve seen a few incidents where I see a lack of police presence. I think that might help deter some of them,” Rich added.

Lt. Bender noted that landscapers have become frequent targets of thieves in the metropolitan area.

“The thieves think they’re an easy target because they have a big truck with thousands of dollars worth of equipment left out there on the street,” Bender said. “The best they can do is secure the vehicles and have them in a locked and locked trailer.”

Bender also advised landscapers to take precautions by maintaining visibility around their work area.

“If I can have someone in the front of the house and the back of the house, it can help keep an eye on things,” he said.

First responders urged robbery victims to prioritize their safety.

“Hand over the item and call the police. Be a very good witness to what happened, but don’t try to fix it right then,” Bender advised.

Holt and Thorpe are now in custody at the DeKalb County Jail on charges of possession of a firearm, armed robbery and aggravated assault.

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