Gunman points weapon at toddler and mom

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. - Sandy Springs Police are searching for a gunman who ambushed a mother carrying an 18-month-old toddler, and stole their gold necklaces with pendants of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. 

Police said the ordeal happened Oct. 10 at the Highland Circle apartments off of Northwood Drive, shortly after midnight, as mother Jazmin Rodriguez was returning home and walked towards her apartment; she said her boyfriend was coming outside to meet her, but a robber met her, first. 

"The first thing he pointed, was at the baby's head," said Rodriguez, who said the gunman first pointed the gun at her son, and as she tried to shield him, the robber pointed the gun at her. "I screamed... nobody heard me," she said. 

"That's when he ripped the chain off him. When I moved, I guess he saw my chain, and that's when he ripped my chain," Rodriguez said. 

She said the chain belonging to her son, with a pendant of Jesus and the Virgin Mary, was a gift from his grandfather; the chain with a pendant of Jesus she was wearing, was given to her by her husband. 

Police said the robber also took off with plenty of other valuables. 

Police are looking at the similarities between this incident and robberies in Woodstock and Cobb County. 

Woodstock Police said three robbers were arrested after robbing a man of his necklace. Police said one of the robbers is a suspect in a Cobb County officer-involved shooting, and is in the Cobb County Jail. 

An October robbery that ended in murder at a Pappadeaux restaurant in Cobb County also had a similar ordeal, when a robber snatched a necklace from a woman and then shot and killed her husband. 

Authorities have not said there is a definitive connection between all of them.  

Sandy Springs Police said the robbery suspect in their city's case was described as a 20 to 30-year-old black male, 6'01", 200 pounds, with a black hat, a black collared jacket and black jeans.