VaHi Safety Team Report March 9, 2018

Check it out the latest safety report here. You can read read the street captain meeting notes and a security alert from Morningside Lenox Park Association (MLPA) as well as learning about upcoming events affecting traffic and more...

Report for February 2018 - Virginia-Highland Security Patrol (FBAC)

CRIME STATS

February 2018

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

Directed Patrols:  18	Drop ins/Park and Walks:  18	Suspicious person:  5
Alarm Response:  6	Suspicious Vehicle:  3	Parking Complaints:  1
Noise Complaints:  1	Out of town Checks:  7	Abandoned Auto:  0
FBAC member Contact:  2	Lost Person:  0	Street Obstruction:  0
Wanted Persons:  0	Intoxicated Persons:  0	Found Property:  0
Criminal Trespass:  0	Info for Officers:  2	Shots Fired:  0
Calls for service (cell Phone):  2	FBAC member contact:  2

News and Notes

Significant incidents through 2/17/18

News and Notes

Significant incidents through 2/17/18

Robbery 600-Block Virginia Ave

On February 3, police responded to a call regarding a robbery that occurred in the 600-block of Virginia Ave.  The victim of the robbery had followed the suspects to F.R.O.G.S. Cantina at 931 Monroe Drive, where the police were called.
            The female victim stated that she noticed four black male teenagers blocking the breezeway leading to her apartment.  She said “excuse me” and they parted to allow her to pass and begin walking up the stairs.  As she ascended the stairs, one of the teenagers hit her on the back of the head with a fist or forearm and began trying to wrestle her purse away.  The victim tried to hold on to her purse but the suspect was able to get it away.  The victim chased after the four suspects as they ran westbound on the Beltline toward Monroe Dr SE, where they passed F.R.O.G.S Cantina before she lost them.
            The victim described the suspect that hit her and took the purse as a 5'5 teenage black male wearing a red jacket and a black scarf that covered his face.  The other males were wearing hoodies and she described one of the three as slim.  The purse contained an iPhone 7, five credit cards, the victim’s driver’s license and makeup.  The cell phone was unable to be traced when officers responded.

Robbery Drewry St @ Beltline

On February 6, at approximately 9:35 PM, police responded to a pedestrian robbery call that occurred on the Beltline trail.  A male victim stated that he entered the Beltline walking from Greenwood Ave and walked north toward Monroe Drive at approximately 9:27 PM.  Shortly after that, he encountered two males walking southbound on the trail near Drewry Street.  The two males stopped and approached the victim when they met on the trail.  One of the males produced a small handgun from underneath his jacket with his left hand, and pointed it at the victim then said, "You know what time it is, give it up."  The victim ran from the scene southbound back towards Greenwood Ave.  During his flight, he passed a female on a bicycle and warned her of the danger ahead. She proceeded towards the men but they did nothing to her as she passed. The victim stopped and called 911 once he felt it was safe to do so.  He described the first male with the gun as light skinned black male, about 6 feet tall, about forty years old with some facial hair. He was possibly wearing a hat of an unknown color and a gray jacket with slacks. Victim was unable to give much description of the second subject other than that he was a black male, about 6 foot 2 inches tall wearing a baseball hat and dark clothing. Nothing was taken from the victim before he fled the scene and he did not report any injuries.

 Burglary 700-Block N. Highland Ave

On February 6 at approximately 3:59 PM, police responded to a residential burglary call from the 700-block of N. Highland Ave.  The victim stated that he arrived home from work at approximately 3:51 PM and noticed his front door unlocked, the window next to his back door broken, and items of value missing from within his apartment, located on the fourth floor of the complex.  The front door is accessible from an enclosed stairway with a locked door at the entrance, and the back door is accessible from an open stairway in the alley way of the complex. The back door was locked, but the window pane to the left of the door was broken. There were broken glass shards both on the inside of the residence and on the outside of the residence.  Police recovered fingerprints from several glass shards and the interior lock and the door lock and handle, as well as several items that had been moved within the apartment.  It appeared as if the suspect entered through the back window from the exterior stairway, unlocked the front door and exited through the front stairway.  Several electronic items were stolen, along with a red Trek brand bicycle that was stored in the enclosed stairway in front of the door.
            Victim lives at the apartment with his wife, and their pet dog. The dog was loose in the residence at the time of the burglary, and the suspect put the dog in the master bedroom.  The victim left the apartment at approximately 7:30 AM and locked the front door upon departing.  There are no cameras in the apartment or complex, but the victim received a notification from a Nest brand thermostat at approximately 12:30 PM, indicating that the thermostat had detected motion in the residence.  The victim confirmed that the dog could not activate the motion sensor.  A neighbor from a nearby unit at the bottom of the stairs reported hearing juveniles talking loudly in an adjacent church parking lot in the early afternoon, but could not provide additional information.

Burglary 700-Block Bonaventure Av (Arrest Made)

On February 7, police were dispatched to a burglary in progress in the 700 Block of Bonaventure Avenue.  A witness had observed a man crawling through a rear bathroom window into the property, and the suspect had successfully entered the premises before police arrived.  The witness described the suspect as a black male, gray bear, black beanie, dark clothing, carrying a small backpack.  Multiple police units responded and took up positions around the property with their patrol cars.  As police approached the building, a black male wearing a yellow and gray knit cap, black coat, blue jeans and red shoes came out of the building, down the stairs and onto the sidewalk.  The male, later identified as Floyd Roberson (DOB 10/25/1965) was immediately detained to confirm or dispel our suspicion that he was involved in the crime.  Mr. Roberson was asked what he was doing inside the building to which he replied, "I was burglarizing it". Mr. Roberson was then placed into custody and read his Miranda warning.  A search of his person revealed a fixed-blade knife in his jacket pocket along with a broken Apple watch. The blade of the knife appeared to be longer than 3 inches. Mr. Roberson stated that he left his bag inside the location and that there was a dog inside but "it doesn't bite". I opened the unlocked front door and immediately noticed the apartment was in disarray and a dog in the kitchen. There were clothing items strewn around the floor and the rear bathroom window was still opened.   Police contacted the owner of the apartment, who came to the scene and confirmed that several items were out of place inside the apartment: his clothing items that were stored in blue bags had been opened and strewn throughout the apartment, the TV had been moved, and his bicycle had been pulled out of the closet. It did appear that Mr. Roberson was indeed looking for items to steal. Mr. Roberson described the bag that he left inside as a black single strap bag with blue on the strap. I noticed this bag sitting in the middle of the living room floor.  Inside the bag police found several "Grady Hospital" documents with Mr. Roberson's name on them. Mr. Roberson was arrested on charges of burglary and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony, and was transported to the Fulton County jail without incident.

Commercial Burglary 695 Pylant St

On February 6, police responded to a commercial burglary call at the Good Works Loft – a commercial building containing multiple businesses – and discovered the rear downstairs door had its window shattered.  Only the unit closest to the point of entry, Ragsdale Design, showed signs of entry – the business had its glass window shattered and the blinds torn down.

The owner of the Good Works Loft responded to the scene and contacted the owners of Ragsdale Design who determined that a LG computer monitor was missing from inside the unit.  Police located a nearby camera at 862 Ponce de Leon Pl and contacted the owner, who allowed police to review footage.  The camera captured a white/silver newer model sedan – possibly a Lexus or Infiniti – with a sunroof drive into the eastside parking lot at approximately 4:36 AM.  The driver of the sedan positioned the vehicle with the front-end facing away from the building.  The sedan left at 4:37 AM but returned approximately 1 minute later, at which time four suspects wearing hoodies and carrying flashlights emerged from the sedan and began casing the building.  The four suspects ran back to the vehicle at approximately 4:42 AM, at which point the vehicle fled the scene.

Recently several people have reported their signs showing wear and tear and asking how to get new ones.  They are held on the porch of John Wolfinger at 1054 Vance Avenue.  No need to call or knock, just drop by and pick up a replacement.

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.  The phone number is available to members through your monthly email. 

VaHi Safety Team Report February 21, 2018

Our neighborhood watch safety report has a new look. Check it out here and learn more about changes at APD, our upcoming street captain's meeting, school safety and more...