Two Lilburn Men Commended for Stopping Attempted Robbery

Hugh Sturgeon stopped into Just Smoke on Lawrenceville Highway one day last month, as he often does. The man who usually serves him wasn't there, but instead, there was a man with a mask.

"Where's Kevin?" Sturgeon asked, according to Lilburn Police Chief Bruce Hedley. The man with the mask said he was in the back. Then, the masked man took off. Realizing he'd probably just interrupted a robbery, Sturgeon took off after him, and he was joined by Rene Lepf.

Sturgeon was able to alert police to the suspect's whereabouts, and Lilburn police found the suspect only a few hundred yards from the store, Hedley said.

Hedley presented Sturgeon with a certificate of commendation at Monday night's city council meeting for the heroic act. Lepf was also issued a certificate, but wasn't at the meeting.

The suspect, Hedley said, was a convicted criminal and just recently been released. He wasn't armed but it was still a dangerous situation and a brave thing for Sturgeon and Lepf to do, Hedley said.