Crime reports
The following crime reports are taken from the Zone 6 crime stats for weeks 49 and 50 of 2009, with emphasis on our Beat # 603, but with news from all over the Zone as it applies to us. Again, I stress these reports are not meant to scare anyone – but to give you a chance to alter your everyday activities to possibly becoming a victim. We have to realize we live in the middle of a big city – not everything can be avoided – but a lot can be. Learn from other person’s mistakes.
Auto Theft – A vehicle was stolen from Virginia Avenue and a broken-down vehicle on Virginia Circle that was supposed to have been towed by an insurance company was not taken to the designated location. Now that it is cold again – five vehicles in the Zone were stolen while left warming up in driveways. A cold car seat is better than no car seat!
Auto Theft Recovery – A vehicle reported stolen on Bellevue Drive was found by the owner after they realized where they had parked it. If you are driving a stolen vehicle – NEVER cut in front of a police car!! Two juveniles ( 15 and 16 y/o) were arrested on Hosea Williams Drive, S.E. after they made this driving blunder!
Commercial Burglary – 5 units were entered at the Public Storage facility on Monroe Drive in Piedmont Heights with a suspect identified. Prim Printing on Dutch Valley Place was entered via a smashed glass door. Nite drop rent boxes were entered at Monroe Place Apartments on Monroe Drive and Broadstone Apartments on Piedmont Road.
Residential Burglary – A home on Amsterdam Avenue was entered via an unsecured rear window. All around the Zone in this time period 17 homes were entered via kicked-in doors!
Larceny From Auto – Vehicles were broken into on Arlington Place, Brookridge Drive, Drewry Street, Hudson Drive, Los Angeles Avenue (2), Virginia Avenue (2), Amsterdam Walk, Barnett Street, Briarcliff Place, Lanier Boulevard (2), North Highland Avenue, North Virginia Avenue, PDL Place, and Rupley Drive. Of these 17 incidents – 15 of the owners were visitors to our neighborhood and undoubtedly, folks who do not have a very good opinion of VaHi now – especially if they were here to go to restaurants and bars.
All around the Zone in this time period – there were SEVENTEEN GPS systems taken, 3 license plates taken off (keep checking to make sure you still have a plate), 4 hand guns added to the arsenal already on the streets, 3 in-dash radios ripped out, tires taken off two vehicles, and six catalytic converters sawed off AT&T trucks in their parking lot on Chester Avenue, S.E. Three entered vehicles had nothing taken – including the incident on Rupley Drive (go figure why?). The most unusual thing taken was a pit bull dog from a vehicle on Cheshire Bridge Road.
Larceny Other – Unwatched purses were taken at Noche and at the MJQ Club. At the Briarcliff Summit Building a camera was missing from an apartment after cleaners had left and in this same building a blind resident’s guitar was taken while he talked to a stranger in his doorway. At the Edgewood Target store an employee stole $4982 worth of gift cards – I assume there is a job opening there now. The PDL Avenue Publix store caught 2 shoplifters. All around the Zone, a/c units continue to be stolen for scrap metal, I presume, and mostly from unoccupied residences.
Commercial Robbery – The much publicized Zesto’s robbery in L5P on 12/2 took place at 8 p.m. during regular business hours. The Subway restaurant in Edgewood Retail district was robbed at gunpoint at 11 p.m. – their closing time. At the SunTrust Bank in East Atlanta on Flat Shoals Avenue, S.E. at 2 p.m. a teller was approached by the suspect with a robbery note. The teller began to comply and then put the money back into the drawer as no gun was shown. The suspect fled on foot but was arrested.
Pedestrian Robbery – On St. Charles Avenue at 1 a.m. three young people in their twenties were robbed at gunpoint. At the Ansley Wachovia ATM at 7 p.m. – the victim had her withdrawal forcibly taken from her pocket – no gun reported in this case. And at the ATM in the Edgewood Retail District at 3 a.m. the victim was robbed of their withdrawal at gunpoint.
Be alert and enjoy this wonderful holiday season. Be sure to let your trusted neighbors know of your travel plans and how to reach you in your absence.