Robber attempts to ambush former DeKalb County police officer

NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. - Authorities are on the hunt for a dangerous armed robber who ambushed a homeowner in his driveway.

It all happened in a quiet neighborhood in Newton County.

But homeowner Carlos Wicker had a surprise as well.

Wicker was armed, was a former police officer, and says he was more than prepared to take on the suspect.

For 16 years Wicker served as a police officer, so he thinks this would-be robber with a gun messed with the wrong homeowner.

So on Tuesday, when a robber ambushed him in his driveway at the Riverwalk Farms community off Dearing Road in Newton County just after midnight, he wasn't worried.

He says his years of officer training as a former DeKalb County police officer and district attorney investigator, working to take criminals off the street, took over.

"I pulled my gun, I shot at him and he took off running," Wicker said.

Newton County deputies told FOX 5 News they're on the hunt for the robbers.

Neighbors in the area said they're surprised that robbers would target their quiet community where many say they moved away from the city to get away from crime.

"I want to find out what's happened because we have young children here," one neighbor said. "It's not normal."