Local residents are being warned

to watch their rear-view mirrors after the arrests of four people for

following a Fairburn man home and attempting to rob him at gunpoint.

The victim was targeted because

he drove a luxury car, said Maj. Bruce Jordan of the Fayette County Sheriff's

Department.

"He was just getting in

from Atlanta," Jordan said.

Jordan suggested that residents

who believe they are being followed should drive directly to the Sheriff's

Department for assistance.

The Fairburn victim was in

his garage at a residence on Morning Springs Walk in north Fayette County

Thursday, Jan. 11 when the incident took place. He was approached by the

four suspects who were armed with a non-working replica of a handgun and

asked him for money.

The victim scared off the would-be

robbers with a few choice words, Jordan added. "Apparently it frightened

them into rethinking what they were doing."

Two of the suspects were caught

near the scene, and the weapon was also recovered nearby, said Sgt. Renee

James. The search included the patrol division, criminal investigation

division and K-9 tracking team.

Two other suspects were arrested

the following day and police impounded the vehicle that one of the suspects

got away in, James said.

Arrested for criminal attempt

to commit armed robbery were: Dominick Brown, 17, of Atlanta; Jeffery

Gripper, 17, of Atlanta, and two juveniles, ages 15 and 16, also from

Atlanta.

All four suspects have been

charged for similar crimes in Fulton County, several of which occurred

on the same day, James said. Fulton County law enforcement agencies assisted

in the investigation, she added.