Gwinnett County mom presses for answers after son assaulted, robbed at gas station
Gwinnett County mom seeks justice after son robbed at gas station
A 21-year-old man was severely assaulted and robbed outside of a Gwinnett County gas station near Duluth.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A Gwinnett County mother is pleading for help from the community to identify potential suspects after her 21-year-old son was assaulted and robbed outside of a gas station near Duluth.
Gwinnett County police investigation
What we know:
Vanessa Humphrey said her 21-year-old son, Dominique Kelly, was out with friends at the Ibiza Lounge on Satellite Boulevard early Friday morning.
After leaving the lounge, she said her son walked to a nearby gas station alongside a woman while his other friends "dissipated."
While hanging out near the gas station, Humphrey said the woman went inside and left her son with her belongings.
Moments later, Humphrey said a man approached her son with threatening comments and initiated a physical struggle. She said a second person then stepped out of the same vehicle and struck Kelly in the head, causing him to collapse.
Humphrey said the attack left Kelly with a small brain bleed and will result in the surgical removal of his left eye.
What they're saying:
"I'm frustrated. I'm sad for him. My heart breaks for him," Humphrey said. "He's struggling, somewhere between very confused, agitated and angry."
"Ibiza wasn't really having a big crowd that night, so they wanted to go across the street to the gas station and kind of hang out there for a couple of moments until they figured out what they're doing next," Humphrey said about her son's plans that night.
Humphrey said she woke up the following morning not knowing what happened to her son.
"He just left the house at 10 p.m., and this happened shortly after midnight," she said. "He hadn't even been gone for two hours. Definitely not unusual to be out at that time as a 21-year-old."
Humphrey hopes by sharing her son's story, it could help police detectives as they track down potential suspects.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not yet identified any potential suspects or released descriptions of the vehicle involved in the encounter.
Detectives were seen searching for evidence at the gas station on Saturday as they work on their investigation.
Road to recovery
What's next:
Humphrey said her son has been discharged from the hospital and is continuing to recover.
She said he faces a long physical and emotional journey ahead. Humphrey expects her son will need up to a year of visual rehabilitation, occupational therapy and trauma counseling.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 5 reporter Rey Llerena, who interviewed the victim's mother, Vanessa Humphrey.