Atwater police seek public’s help in robbery case

Atwater police on Thursday asked for the public’s help identifying a group of suspected gang members who beat and robbed a man on New Year’s Day.

The victim, a 20-year-old Atwater man, was attacked around 2 p.m. Jan. 1 outside a store in the 300 block of East Bellevue Road, the Police Department reported Thursday.

Three suspected gang members confronted the victim, demanding all the property he was carrying, Lt. Samuel Joseph said.

The victim ran away through the parking lot of a nearby business, but the group caught up to him. They took some unspecified property from the victim and threatened to retaliate if he reported the attack to law enforcement, police said.

One member of the group pushed the victim to the ground and punched him in the head numerous times, while shouting gang-related slurs, Joseph said.

The victim did not request medical attention.

“We’re hoping someone from the public knows something or has heard something about this incident and will come forward,” Joseph said. “We’d like them to give us a call; they don’t have to leave their name.”

The suspected gang members were described as Latino men in their 20s. They were seen leaving the area in a gray-colored sedan.

This story was originally published January 8, 2015 at 6:32 PM with the headline "Atwater police seek public’s help in robbery case."