Report for Virginia-Highland Security Patrol for August 2019

CRIME STATS

JULY 21, 2019 through AUGUST 24, 2019

FBAC Security Patrol

July 21, 2019 through August 24, 2019

                        The Activity Report is a summary of what our FBAC Patrol Officers do on their shifts

Directed Patrols:  26	Drop ins/Park and Walks:  21	Suspicious person:  4
Alarm Response:  5	Suspicious Vehicle:  2	Parking Complaints: 4
Noise Complaints:  0	Out of town Checks:  13	Abandoned Auto:  0
FBAC member Contact: 5	Lost Person:  0	Street Obstruction:  0
Wanted Persons:  0	Intoxicated Persons:  0	Found Property:  0
Criminal Trespass:  0	Info for Officers:  1	Shots Fired:  0
Calls for service (cell Phone):  3

Residential Burglary – 900 Block Greenwood Av

On July 22 at approximately 3:22pm, police were dispatched to a residential burglary in the 900-block of Greenwood Ave.  The victim advised he left his apartment around 9:30am and got home around 2:15pm, when he discovered the front door of his apartment was kicked in and approximately $600-800 was stolen from his bedroom dresser.  No cameras, fingerprints, witnesses or any other evidence could be obtained. 

A subject by the name of Terry Noble was arrested and charged with the following crimes listed below.  He is being investigated further for other crimes that have occurred similarly in this and nearby neighborhoods.

Burglary / Assault – 500 Block Orme Circle

On August 1 at approximately 11:38am, police responded to a burglary call in the 500 block of Amsterdam Ave NE.  The suspect description matched a suspicious person call from a nearby property on the same block, describing a black male, six-foot-tall with a slender muscular frame dressed in grey t-shirt and black shorts.  The male was reported to be dark skinned with tattoos on his arms and possibly about the body.  The first caller who reported the suspicious person observed the suspect tossing a silver or grey bicycle over a 6-foot high fence and exiting through a side gate then departing with the bicycle. 

Upon arrival at the site of the burglary, police met with the victim who reported that she was dropped off at the home around 11:00am.  The victim is the sister-in-law of the home-owner and was visiting from out of town.  Upon arrival, the victim noticed that the house was tossed about, but did not think anything of it because her sister in law had advised her prior to arrival that the house would be “a little messy” and not to “judge her.”  The victim and her 11 year old daughter were inside the house long enough for them both to use the bathroom.  As the victim walked to the rear of the house to use the washer and dryer, she noticed that the laundry room window was broken out and a large stone was on the floor, at which point she suspected foul play and called her sister in law at 11:11am.  As she walked back toward the front room of the house to find her daughter, the victim came face to face with the suspect near the bedroom / hallway area.  Victim advised that the male must have been hiding when he heard the noise of their arrival and tried to make an exit when he felt the way was clear.  The victim stated that the male assaulted her with his hands, pushing her to the floor as he moved past her.  The victim asked the suspect not to hurt them, and he replied “I’m not going to hurt you, just got in the middle of a bad situation.”  The victim and her daughter then ran from the home through the front door and stopped the nearest passerby to call 911.  Police conducted a search of the home to clear clear it and confirmed no suspects were inside.  Grady EMS responded to the scene to treat the victim for a cut finger and bumped head from being pushed to the floor.  Crime scene technicians recovered fingerprints from a spoon where the suspect had been eating a bowl of cereal and a can of Coke.  The home owner arrived and was able to walk through the scene and identify what was missing or damaged – stating that around $400 cash was stolen from the living room TV stand drawer but no other items were obviously missing.

Burglary – 700 Block Elkmont Dr (related incident)

On August 1, police responded to a residential burglary in the 700-block of Elkmont Dr.  The victim stated that she was upstairs doing laundry with music on so she could not hear what was going on downstairs, until she heard her refrigerator beeping because the door was open.  As she walked near the back door, she noticed items from her purse on the ground.  She walked outside and saw four of her credit cards laying in the driveway on the ground, along with a can of beer from her refrigerator thrown in the bushes.  The victim went to her neighbor’s house to see if he had footage and after she saw it, she called police.  Victim advised that there was no damage to her property, and she believed that the unknown male suspect entered through the back door which must have been left unlocked.  The victim’s black wallet, and key fob to her car were also missing and were subsequently retrieved inside her neighbor’s house, which had also been burglarized.  A white gold ring and a silver ring from inside her purse were also missing.  Police lifted fingerprints from the back doors and lower left side window panel and off the refrigerator.

Burglary/Robbery  – 700 Block Elkmont Dr (related incident)

On August 1 at approximately 1:45pm, police responded to a home invasion call from the 700 block of Elkmont Dr.  The victim advised that around 11:15am he walked into his living room and surprised an unknown black male grabbing his wallet and cellphone.  The victim described the suspect as mid-30s age, bald headed, approximately 6’ 0” tall wearing a gray shirt and black shorts.  The victim stated that the suspect was holding a kitchen knife in his hand.  The suspect walked toward the victim brandishing the knife and instructed the victim to grab his vehicle keys and take him back to the “hood.”  The victim stated that he was intimidated by the suspect’s demands and did everything exactly as he was asked.

The victim drove the suspect somewhere near the new Mercedes Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta.  The victim was not able to be specific about the multiple locations since he is not familiar with this area.  The victim observed that the suspect appeared to be under the influence of some kind of drugs and was sweating profusely while also appearing fatigued.  While en route to downtown Atlanta, the suspect twice instructed the victim to stop by two different ladies that were standing on the side of the street at different locations.  The suspect verbally engaged both females with the intent to hire them for sex.  The second female solicited by the suspect got into the vehicle in the rear passenger seat with the suspect while the victim continued driving.  At that time the suspect placed the knife down between the passenger seat and center console and tried to act like it was a normal encounter with the victim and lady inside the vehicle  Eventually the suspect instructed the victim to drop him off near a vacant building, and the suspect and female companion exited the vehicle and walked away at a normal pace without any hesitation.  Prior to exiting the vehicle, the suspect handed the victim a wallet and said “here is your neighbor’s wallet.”  (It was subsequently confirmed that the wallet did in fact belong to a neighbor whose house was burglarized).  After the suspect left the vehicle, the victim drove back to his residence where he called 911.

The victim was able to identify a photo of the suspect as the same person involved in a residential burglary on Amsterdam Ave, a larceny / assault on Orme Circle and a burglary attempt on Elkmont Dr, where he left behind a gray bicycle in the back driveway.  Investigators received information that the suspect is known to hang out around the “Castleberry” area in downtown.  The suspect’s phot was disseminated city wide and Zone 6 units canvassed multiple locations in an attempt to locate the suspect.

Commercial Burglary 842 N. Highland Ave

On August 26 at approximately 8:02am, police responded to burglary call at the Truva Restaurant and Bar at 842 N Highland Ave.  A passerby had called 911 at 7:49am concerning glass broken on the door of the business.  Police checked the business and determined no one was inside.  The restaurant owner arrived and confirmed that the incident was captured on the business’ security cameras. 

On August 26, 2019 at approximately 6:25 am cameras on the south side of the Truva Restaurant and Bar at 842 N Highland captured a small dark SUV possibly a Geo with a broken rear passenger side mirror taped up with cardboard parked next to the building.  The camera showed two black males standing next to the vehicle. One male was shorter than the second and had a baseball cap, facial hair, and short pants. The second male seemed to be older based on his posture and effort he put into walking.  By the camera footage the two males walked north on N Highland toward the main entrance to the restaurant.  The footage showed the shorter black male enter the east facing door from N Highland Ave NE after a large rock broke the glass and landed near the bar. The male carrying a black trash bag hopped over the white marble bar top. Seconds later the older black male entered the room walked to the bar and began receiving bottles of alcohol being passed to him by the shorter male with facial hair. The video showed the two males leaving the restaurant through the same damaged door they used to enter the business carrying out multiple bottles of liquor valued at approximately $317.  The outside camera captured the two returning to the south side of 842 N Highland Ave NE and got back into the dark small SUV.  When the passenger side door opened the figure of third person in the rear seat was exposed. The vehicle turned south on N Highland Ave toward St Charles Ave NE, but the security cameras were not able to capture the vehicle tag number and the vehicle was not spotted on city traffic cameras in the area.  A fingerprint was recovered from the bar top and turned over to investigators along with the camera footage from the business.

If you see someone or something suspicious, please report it to the police.  When driving or out walking keep an eye out in the neighborhood, what you see and report just might prevent a crime.

Reminder:  All members call 911 first if you see a crime in progress or a suspicious person or activity, and then call the FBAC Phone.