By Joe Johnson
An Athens woman was injured Tuesday in a struggle with a juvenile who stole her bicycle and then robbed her of some belongings, according to an Athens-Clarke County police report.
Shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday, officers responded to a reported battery that occurred in the area of College Station Road and College Circle, and upon arrival they met with a 53-year-old Jernigan Drive resident who said that her bicycle had been stolen from her home earlier in the day and she and a witness to the theft decided to check the area in an attempt to locate the bicycle, according to the report.
They happened to spot two suspects with the bicycle near the College Station Road/College Circle intersection where the two women exited their vehicle and called out to the suspects, both of whom ran upon dropping the bike, the report noted. One of the suspects returned to retrieve two saddle bags that were attached to the bicycle.
“There was nothing of value in them that the victim) was aware of, but the suspect was intent on getting them back,” according to the report.
The woman said after she picked up the bags the suspect began struggling with her to take them and managed to wrest one away, the report noted.
During the struggle the woman’s ring finger was broken, according to the report.
Police said they spotted the suspects while searching the area, but they lost sight of them after the suspects ran.
The suspect who robbed the saddle bag from the woman faces charges of robbery, theft and aggravated battery, according to the report, which stated an investigation was ongoing.
The suspects were both described as black juveniles who were wearing shorts and T-shirts, with one of them wearing white sliders and the other having a haircut that was short on the sides and tall on top, according to the police report.