Virginia-Highland Crime Report: Home Burglaries, Car Break-ins and more

The following report was sent to Virginia-Highland residents by VHCA safety chairman John Wolfinger.

The following reports are gleaned from our APD Zone 6 crime stats for the 2012 weeks 30 and 31 (7/22 to 8/4).  Again, I state that these reports are not meant to scare anyone, but to make you aware of what happens around us everyday, and to raise your level of awareness and alertness.  The emphasis is on our Beat 601, but with news from around the Zone as it applies to us.  Most of us are mobile and do not stay here in VaHi every day.

Aggravated Assault  - There were 3 pedestrians crossing North Highland Avenue @ Briarcliff Place at 9:40 p.m. when 2 were struck by a passenger car.  After the collision, the passenger in the car got out and struck the male pedestrian victim in the face, the vehicle then drove on northward.  The victims were not seriously hurt and refused treatment or a ride to Grady.  

Auto Theft  -  No reported incidents from Beat 601

Auto Theft Recovery  -  No reported recoveries from Beat 601  

Commercial Burglary  -  No reported incidents from Beat 601  

Residential Burglary  -  A rental house on Elkmont Drive was entered via a rear sliding glass door that evidently had been left unlocked. No signs of forced entry.  A Monroe Drive home was entered via a broken window next to a door, with APD response due to an alarm.  A Park Drive home was entered via an unlocked front door - no signs of forced entry.  A Virginia Avenue home was entered by using an axe taken from the backyard tool shed to break a side window.  All of these break-ins reported only small items being taken (or nothing at all at Monroe Drive) - no electronics or flatscreen tv sets.  A report about the Virginia Avenue break-in at http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/19157160/atlanta-police-release-suspect-photo-in-virginia-ave-burglary   Morningside has also had several recent residential break-ins and a backyard security camera captured this pic of one of the intruders at - http://xa.yimg/kq/groups/13292409/1724708672/name/BackYard_01.jpg    Call 911 immediately if you see this guy wandering any of our neighborhoods with a physical description and which way he is traveling.

Commercial Robbery  -  No reported incidents from Beat 601  

Residential Robbery  -  No reported incidents from Beat 601  

Larceny From Vehicle -  Vehicles were entered on Amsterdam Walk (2), Greenwood Avenue (3), North Highland Avenue (3), PDL Place, Virginia Avenue (this perp was caught via a 911 suspicious person call - thanx to this caller!), PDL Avenue (a license plate taken at the Open Door Community), and Maiden Lane (2) - one of these incidents was a bait operation in which officers placed a city-owned bicycle in the back of a city-owned pick-up truck.  An arrest was made as the perp rode away on the bike - he also was on active probation. 

Larceny Other  -  A chained bicycle was taken from a Drewry Street front porch.  Small items (jewelry and collectables) were taken from homes on Virginia Circle and Rupley Drive, with workpersons suspected. Elsewhere in the Zone - lots of activity.  A male walked out of Green's Liquor Store with 28 cartons of cigarettes.  A person was arrested at the check cashing store at PDL Avenue @ Boulevard for trying to cash a fraudulent check

The following is a list of unwatched cell phones and wallets taken elsewhere in the Zone - a wallet and cell phone taken from the men's room sink at Dad's Garage on Elizabeth Street, a wallet from a JavaJive coffee shop table in L5P, a parking lot valet's cellphone in L5P, a cell phone from a North Avenue laundromat, and a cell phone taken at a Boulevard Community Center.

Pedestrian Robbery  -  A female pedestrian on North Highland @ St. Charles Avenue had her purse snatched at 11:30 a.m. A witness alerted APD as the perp fled in his car.  The car broke down on PDL Avenue @ Moreland Avenue and as he pushed it into the Exxon station - he was spotted by APD.  The perp fled on foot, but was caught behind apartment buildings on Briarcliff Road with the stolen wallet on his person, which was returned to the victim.  The victim was on her way to Van Michael Salon, so after this frightening incident, they did not charge her for her visit.  We have kind and caring merchants in VaHi.  There was another purse snatching on PDL Avenue at 12:30 a.m.  

Elsewhere in the Zone - snatch and grabs of purses, wallets and cell phones continue.  Stay alert when walking and no texting or talking on cell phones when walking.  A Euclid Avenue pedestrian talking on her phone had it snatched by force at 9 a.m.  A texting Poncey Highland pedestrian had his cell phone snatched on North Highland Avenue at 12:30 a.m.  Another Poncey Highland pedestrian had her phone snatched at 6:30 p.m.  A phone was snatched from the hand of a passenger in a Jeep Wrangler waiting for a traffic lite on Boulevard at 10 p.m.  A baby sitter lost her phone in Coen Park at 4:30 p.m.

Do not loan your phone to someone who asks to make a call!  This ruse was used to take phones on Edgewood Avenue at 3:20 p.m., inside Candler Park at 1:15 p.m., and on McLendon Avenue at 3:30 p.m.  A cellphone was taken from a baby buggy in Candler Park - but these perps were caught.   

A pedestrian had her wallet snatched on Euclid Avenue as she was feeding a parking meter at 2 p.m..  Also on Euclid Avenue at 7:40 a.m. a purse was snatched and later found in Reynoldstown via a posting on their yahoo message board. A purse was taken by force on Flat Shoals Avenue in EAV at 11:30 p.m.  Two females were robbed at gunpoint at 1:00 a.m.  on North Highland Avenue in Inman Park and two females had their purses snatched on PDL Avenue in front of the Rite-Aid store at 12:30 a.m.