Crime reports
A Conviction of Interest – Do you remember in my last report there was an item about a suspect caught riding a bike out of the closed Cactus Car Wash on PDL Avenue? He was stopped by Zone 5 Officer Jorge Santa, and after questioning, the suspect (Lessie Bennett) took Officer Santa to St. Charles Avenue where an SUV had been broken into. The victim identified the bike he was riding, then they went on to Arlington Place where yet another car had been broken into and 2 GPS systems had been stolen. Bennett has 14 felony convictions and numerous sentences involving drug treatment. In court, our new Community Prosecutor, Joshua Geller, reports Bennett pled guilty to theft by taking and entering auto. He asked for drug treatment again, but the Judge refused and sentenced him 10 years, 4 years balance probated and no parole. He is also required to pay $125 in restitution (wonder if he has any money though).
The following crime stats are gleaned from Zone 6 reports for the weeks 45 and 46 of 2009, with emphasis on our Beat # 603, but with news from around the Zone as it applies to us.
Aggravated Assault – On 11/4 a w/m St. Charles Avenue resident was threatened at knifepoint by a w/m Monroe Drive resident over a fight about a debt payment.
Auto Theft – Vehicles were stolen from Maiden Lane, Rosewood Drive, Virginia Avenue (2). Whoops!! – a valet parking attendant at Sotto Sotto restaurant in Inman Park gave a car to the wrong person who drove it away.
Residential Burglary – On Highland Lane at the Carlton condo building – 3 separate units were broken into and were discovered within a 3 day time frame. I think folks in this building need to get to know their neighbors for some mutual protection. All around the Zone, a/c units are still being stolen (for scrap metal I assume) and entry was made into 6 homes via a kicked-in door.
Commercial Burglary – The Publix store on Cheshire Bridge Road was entered via a pried open front door and 140 cartons of cigarettes were taken. The ATL Food Market on Barnett Street was entered via a smashed glass front door. At the Public Storage on Monroe Drive, no signs of forced entry into a unit that had goods missing.
Commercial Robbery – The China Garden restaurant on Monroe Drive had an attempted robbery at 3:25 p.m. by a w/m perp who stated “I have a gun – give me all the money” The victim hit the panic alarm and then called 911 – the perp fled on foot with no money. The Chase Bank on Cheshire Bridge Road was robbed at gunpoint at 2:20 p.m.
Larceny from Auto – Vehicles were broken into on Amsterdam Walk (2), Adair Avenue, Greenwood Avenue (2), Highland Terrace, Highland View, Los Angeles Avenue, North Highland Avenue (2) , PDL Avenue (2), Kentucky Avenue, Lanier Boulevard, and PDL Place. On Greenwood Avenue 3 hubcaps were stolen, a PDL Place car had the wheel center caps taken off, and on Piedmont Road a car was put up on concrete blocks and the wheels stolen.
Around all of the Zone in this time period TWENTY GPS systems were stolen, two license plates were taken off, one catalytic convertor sawed off, 2 in-dash stereos ripped out, and one hand gun stolen.
Larceny Other – A Virginia Circle resident lost a cell phone at a North Highland restaurant. At the Georgia Power facility on PDL Place a perp had cut a hole in the fence to gain entry and was stealing burglary tools from a work truck (bolt cutters, a screwdriver), was noticed, but fled on foot. Also at Georgia Power a perp was caught attempting to steal a bale of copper wire at 1 p.m. – but fled on foot. At Midtown Kitchen on Dutch Valley Road – two guys walked out of the back delivery door with two cases of vodka and escaped in a vehicle. At the PDL Avenue Chipotle a homeless b/m was caught helping himself to a fountain drink – when confronted he started throwing things. Two females lost their unwatched purses on 11/1 at two different PDL Avenue nitespots. The Edgewood Target caught a female juvenile taking out a whole cartful of goods. A UPS package was stolen on PDL Place – how many more of these front porch thefts were never discovered or reported??
Pedestrian Robbery – Yet another bank safety story. At the SunTrust on Moreland Avenue at 5:35 p.m. the victim had just withdrawn cash from the ATM and was walking back to his car when he was approached and asked if he wanted to buy some laptops by suspect # 1 – they walked to a car where suspect # 2 stated “give it up” – the victim gave up his $450 and both suspects fled in their car. Life Lesson # 673 – do not be tempted to buy laptops in a bank parking lot where you have been seen withdrawing cash from an ATM!!!!
Be Alert and Have a Safe Thanksgiving Holiday!