Crime reports
The following incident reports are gleaned from our Zone 6 crime stats for the 1st and 2nd weeks of 2010, and as I always state – are not meant to scare anyone but to make us all aware of what happens around us everyday and to take steps to avoid, when possible, of becoming yet another crime victim. Granted – we can’t avoid all situations, but there are many we can sidestep.
Aggravated Assault – A Hillside School counselor was attacked by a juvenile resident – unfortunate, but an occupational hazard I guess. A street argument on PDL Avenue at 5:30 p.m. between two males resulted in one stabbing the other with an ice pick – the arrestee here also had a new, still wrapped, Toshiba laptop in his backpack.
Auto Theft – Vehicles were stolen from Briarcliff Terrace, Greenwood Avenue, North Highland Avenue, PDL Avenue (a motorcycle), and Rosedale Road. As you might suspect – the cold weather resulted in two unattended vehicles being stolen elsewhere in the Zone while the owners left them running in their driveways to warm up. Also around the Zone a vehicle was stolen while the owner was putting trash in a parking lot dumpster. On Memorial Drive at midnite, a driver lost his keys while playing in the snow. Upon returning with extra keys – someone else had evidently already found the key in the snow and his car was gone. Or it might have been hot-wired.
Residential Burglary – no VaHi incidents in this time period – but around the Zone, 5 residences were entered via kicked-in doors.
Commercial Robbery – Yet another warning to business owners not to become lax at closing time. At the Einstein Bagel store on Monroe Drive at 4:30 p.m. – a female employee had taken out the trash after closing and was accosted at the back door by a robber who forced her to open the safe, taking $1300 of hard earned sales. Businesses are very vulnerable at closing time – so be alert and be aware. Maybe two people should take out the trash and keep the door locked while doing so.
Larceny From Auto – And this goes on and on. Vehicles were broken into on Arlington Place (2), Greenwood Avenue, Lanier Boulevard (2), Los Angeles Avenue (2), North Highland Avenue (5), Rosedale Road, St. Charles Avenue (3), Clemont Drive, PDLAvenue, Vance Avenue, and Virginia Avenue. Of these TWENTY incidents, 16 of the victims were from outside of VaHi – is this saying something to our hospitality business community??
All around the Zone in this 2 week time period – one hand gun stolen, one catalytic converter sawed off, 3 in-dash radios ripped out, 3 license plates/stickers taken off (keep checking your car), and seven GPS systems taken. There were also 4 incidents where nothing was taken at all – though these 4 folks still had to buy a new window.
Larceny Other – Highland Wine & Crystal had a shoplifter escape. Green’s Liquor on PDL Avenue caught a guy with a bottle of gin in his waistband. Urban Outfitters at the Plaza caught a shoplifter. At the LA Fitness at Ansley, a patron lost his wallet from an improperly locked locker. At an unnamed St. Charles Avenue business the female cashier was inappropriately touched by the perp who left the store when asked, but went across the street, and rummaged through her car – but not taking anything. He was arrested. A lot of activity at the Edgewood Retail District – a Target employee’s walkie-talkie was stolen and being used to broadcast obscene messages. At the Best Buy – 2 perps were caught using scissors to cut off security tags and another shoplifter here dropped stolen laptops when he hit the front door. At the Kroger store a shoplifter took the stolen items to her car – then was nabbed when she had the nerve to come back in the store (she evidently forgot some items on her list). Two other shoplifters caught here also had Target merchandise in their possession without a corresponding sales receipt. A car-mounted bicycle was taken – make sure these racks are locked. At 12:30 p.m. in this center’s lot, the victim was being handed $400 in cash when it was grabbed from his hand by a perp who fled on foot. No reason given for why $400 was being exchanged in a parking lot.
Pedestrian Robbery – At the Buddy’s gas station at North Highland and North Avenues, at 9 a.m., the female victim was pumping gas when approached by the perp who asked if she wanted to go for a drive – she replied “no” but he did not take that for a refusal, got into her car and sped off. ALWAYS take your keys out of the ignition when at a gas station!!!! At the Briarcliff Summit building, the victim was visiting 2 friends at 2 a.m. in an apartment along with 3 other visitors. The victim was attacked, losing his laptop and wallet and the perps escaped on foot out of the building. Limit your 2 a.m. social calls to people you really can trust – or better yet, don’t go visiting at this time of nite at all.
Be alert, be aware and stay safe!