ATLANTA — Police have made two arrests in the violent Asian restaurant robberies Channel 2 Action News has been reporting on for the past couple of weeks.
[READ MORE: Same crew robs 7 Asian restaurants across metro, police say]
In many of the cases, victims were pistol-whipped. Sometimes, victims were followed home from their businesses and then assaulted and robbed.
Police said in total, there have been around 20 robberies targeting the Asian community across six different counties since March.
Emmanuel Rakestraw, 26, and Earnest Sims, 19, have been arrested in connection with the crimes.
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Rakestraw is charged in connection with one Gwinnett County case, but police said they are investigating his involvement with others in the county and other counties across the metro.
Rakestraw is accused of following the owner of Golden Express Chinese Cuisine to his home in Snellville, then pistol-whipping and robbing him there.
Sims was arrested in DeKalb County at a house on Huntsman Bend. Detectives were seen walking out of the house with bags of evidence.
Sims is charged with robbing Golden Express Chinese Cuisine on Wesley Chapel Road on May 20.
Police said he pistol-whipped an employee there and later another man at a home in Ellenwood the same day.
Police said they are investigating whether there is a gang connection with the crimes. They said they expect more charges and more arrests.
Cox Media Group
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