Glendale Mugging
Decatur Metro | June 8, 2009DPD just sent out this alert…
Decatur Police Alert – June 8, 2009
On Sunday, 6-7-09, at approximately 6pm, a Decatur resident was walking on Glendale Avenue near Forkner Drive and was approached by 2 African American males who said “Give me your bag, give me your purse.” When she stated that she did not have a purse, one of the subjects hit her in her face, snatched her beach bag and towel and left the scene.
Description of Subjects:
– 2 African American males
– Subject 1 – about 6’0″ tall wearing green plaid shorts
– Subject 2 – about 5’7″ wearing a white tank top and possibly a white hat, twists in his hair
This case is still under investigation.
Please call 911or the non-emergency number at (404) 373-6551 the moment you see anything or anyone suspicious.
Thank You,
That adds a bit more detail to an email from the victim that Jonathan forwarded this morning. I will not publish her name for obvious reasons.
“I live on Glendale and was walking with my 14 month old from the Glenlake pool [Sunday 6/7] afternoon at 6pm. According to the police I was “robbed and assaulted”. to me I was mugged and scared. I had just turned onto Glendale off Forkner and heard a noise behind me. Turned to see 2 young guys following me. Knew there was trouble brewing but didn’t see anyone outside or any cars passing. Incident lasted maybe a minute but stole my beachbag (had over my shoulder not under the stroller) and got punched in the face. They were clearly looking for money as they did not ask for any of my jewelry etc.
The police responded as soon as I found a phone (thanks to those who helped and cooperated with the police!!), detectives were out and have been talking to people. The captain is especially interested because “this never happens in this neighborhood” – hope to keep it that way.The baby and I are fine, I just want to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else! Let me know if you need additional information.”
Latest from Decaturish
I hope that the police and neighborhood association are all over this immediately. It’s particularly unnerving to hear that the victim had a young toddler with her and this occurred in broad daylight. This type of incident is what could shut down a lot of the local walking about town that is so important to Decatur’s view of itself as a healthy community and to local support of Decatur businesses. A huge part of the charm of shopping locally is the nice walk and sense of safety that goes with it. Public opinion about the safety of a neighborhoods can tip so easily in either direction.
Does anyone know how the victim found help after her assaulters left and what the proper reaction should be? I know in cities like New York, one is supposed to scream one’s head off, including “Help”, “Call 911″, and “Fire” (because some bystanders respond more to “Fire” than to “Help”). But is this a useful reaction on a suburban style street in Decatur where no one may hear you? I might feel foolish. Is just running to nearby doors and banging a better idea? Carrying a cell phone is no help if it’s in one’s bag that has been stolen!
Word to the wise to those considering mugging mothers returning from Decatur pools: Our beach bags have wet bathing suits, worn underwear, dirty socks, partially consumed juice pouches, candy wrappers, stale and mushy crackers, and spilled sunscreen that have all been fermenting in the Georgia heat for days. We don’t carry our wallets because there’s nothing to buy at the pools and we don’t want them ending up wet. If there’s any change in the bag somewhere, it’s a health hazard to get to it. After sitting in the sun and listening to screaming and splashing, lifeguard whistles blowing, and kids whining when it’s time to go home, WE ARE READY TO SNAP. Plus we have a tendency to be intense about our children, e.g. rescuing them by lifting trucks up out of pure adrenaline. Just like muggers know enough to leave crazy people on the subway alone, you are better off not messing with us.
If you could have heard the “reaction” that ensued after “chocolate chip muffins” were accidently served in the school breakfast one morning at College Heights, I would second Snowflake’s thought about Decatur moms being “intense” about their children. Muggers beware – especially if you smell of chocolate chips or high fructose corn syrup.
College Heights mistake was in not serving the chocolate chip muffins to the MOTHERS! That would have elicited a whole other reaction!
What kind of sick person punches a mother with her 14 month old?
my thoughts exactly, Russ. What kind of sicko targets a mom with a baby stroller anyway? Fricking cowards.
Answer: a truly depraved whack-job. Let’s hope they catch these guys and they serve the very long sentences they truly deserve.
Criminals are not noted for their intelligence or couth.
Sheesh, this is where I go jogging. Even though I don’t carry anything with me, I still wouldn’t want to be punched.
I hope these guys get the same treatment in prison as child molestors. I can’t describe how sick this incident makes me. Is there a pocket in a diaper bag that can hold a glock?
“Is there a pocket in a diaper bag that can hold a glock?”
Yes. And when your diaper bag with glock inside gets stolen, guess what the glock will be used for.
Jeff,
The point of the previous post was to make clear that if the mother/father saw the threat coming, the would have pulled out a weapon and deterred the situation.
It is apparent that you see all legally armed citizens as incompetent.
Please feel free to stop by my house in Decatur for a lesson in self-defense.
OK, you’re right. A shootout right next to a baby carriage is preferable to a punch in the face.
Nope….you still don’t get it.
In instances when a gun is brandished for self-defense:
“When victims are attacked, 98 percent of the time merely brandishing a gun is enough to cause the criminal to stop his attack.”
“There are surveys that have been done by the Los Angeles Times, Gallup, Roper, Peter Hart, about 15 national survey organizations in total that range from anything from 760,000 times a year to 3.6 million times a year people use guns defensively. About 98 percent of those simply involve people brandishing a gun and not using them.”
I’m curious what percentage of those people were “READY TO SNAP”, as quoted above?
“Yes. And when your diaper bag with glock inside gets stolen, guess what the glock will be used for.”
Truth..
We are all better off defenseless.
When I walk, I carry in my hand a nifty little canister on a keychain that looks like a penlight, but contains a particularly potent mixture of pepper spray & mace (you can get them at Ace Hardware). I’ve only had to use it once (and it wasn’t even in Decatur!), but believe me, it does a pretty good job of dissuading a would-be mugger/thug/etc. That being said, I can see how difficult it would be for a lone mother who’s terrified for her child’s safety to think of something like that in the heat of the moment– I truly feel for this brave lady. No matter where we live, we have to keep looking out for each other. I hope the little beasts who did this get caught, and get their just punishments. Keep us updated if you can, DM.
I don’t know if this is related, but this afternoon between 5:30 and 6:00 an elderly man on Ridgeland Avenue (which is fairly close to Glendale) reported that two men broke into his house, assaulted him, and stole his money. I spoke with him briefly and saw that he’d been pretty severely beaten–he was bleeding fairly profusely from his face and had a large bruise forming on his eye. I told the police that as I was walking home on Sycamore Ave, I saw two young black males (18-22) running from the scene–one wearing a white tank top and, I think jeans. The other was wearing blue or purple shorts and no shirt, but may have been carrying a dark shirt in his hand.
Police involved, I hope?
Yes. Police and ambulance were called. The police beat the ambulance to the scene.
Maybe the perps will be dumb enough to try again in the same neighborhood. I imagine the police are fairly thick around there right now.
I HOPE they’re thick around here, since I live just a block away from the scene of the incident! I have not seen a single cop patrolling around here since Sunday.
Whether you see them or not, I’m sure they’ve been around. Our Decatur police are very sensitive to things such as this and will assign special extra details, often in unmarked cars. Remember, too, that our officers basically only have one square mile each to patrol, less than most other jurisdictions.
Don’t be so sure, Steve. I live around the corner and I’ve yet to see a single patrol car… marked or unmarked and I walk in the neighborhood every afternoon.
Driving down Glendale this morning there was a cop hanging out near the triangle park.
What does an unmarked car look like?
In Decatur, we know EVERYBODY. Not only that, we know their vehicles, their children, their pets, their blogs, and their coffee preferences. So any car we don’t know is, by definition, unmarked. If we haven’t seen any unfamiliar cars drive by, nor any marked police cars, then no unmarked police cars have been coming by.
Just kidding but I’m all for deterrence by massive, obvious police presence. When our usually safer-than-Mayberry street had a rash of break-ins, I wanted to see our white with blue police cars everywhere, blue flashing lights and all. I’m fine with perpertrators seeing the police presence and deciding that’s not where they want to be. I know undercover work is needed sometimes but I would like the balance between deterrence and gathering information to be on the side of keeping thugs far away from my family.
I appreciate how reasonable and calm this robbery victim sounds. I admire and am astonished at her presence of mind.
Um, maybe it’s not a good idea to post info the bad guys might use…
Actually, posting info indicating that we’re all watching and reporting might discourage the bad guys from coming back. That’s if anyone thinks this type of mugger reads blogs. Somehow, I think their Internet use might not be so wholesome as to be perusing http://www.decaturmetro.com!
Deterrence was my tongue-in-cheek thought about warning about the contents of mothers’ beach bags or lack thereof, not to mention the possibility of maternal snapping under pressure which may draw more public attention than your average mugger wants. Again, I’ve got a feeling that the muggers aren’t sitting at a public library computer quietly reading local blogs.
No one answered my serious question about what someone should do in a similar situation, e.g. walking with an unarmed stroller, young child, and beach bag down a quiet residential Decatur street, no cars or people about, when one is approached by people who seem threatening. What protective action should one take before being mugged?
If You Are Being Followed:
● Cross the street.
● Change direction.
● Keep looking back, so the person realizes you are aware of his/her presence.
● Go to a well-lit, populated area.
● Notice as many physical details as possible, so you can describe the person to the police.
● Report the incident to the police.
Kerry, you forgot one:
– Make sure your Glock is loaded with frangible ammunition to minimize collateral damage.
What’s a Glock? No, don’t tell me. Wouldn’t functional well anyway after a few hours in the fermenting pool bag. The recommendations to cross the street, change direction, and go to a well-lit, populated area are much more practical. Don’t want City of Decatur to have to go to the expense of setting up metal detectors at city pools.
I regularly walk after dark in that exact neighborhood, and I have for years. This is depressing, but it’s the economy that is pushing people to do desperate things like this for a little cash. They sound like kids.
Between the muggers and the coyotes (killers of pets), I’m starting to wonder where I live anymore!
You live in one of the best places in Georgia, in my opinion. Despite the recent incidents, I still feel perfectly safe walking around Decatur and its environs. The reason why these crimes are so shocking to all of us is that they are so rare. This is thanks to our great police department, our residents who look out for each other, and our elected leaders who do their best to keep Decatur clean, safe and an attractive place to live. As for me and my family, we couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
Very well said, Eric. Cheers!
I live three miles from downtown Decatur and it is depressing seeing an uptick in robberies over the past year. Our subdivision has been relatively quiet over the years, but we’ve seen much more brazen action recently. But we are surrounded by iffy neighborhoods, so it’s not a shock. Think Grant Park. What sucks is that someone tried to bust in a home at 6pm on a Sunday. What’s up with that?
This makes me so mad! My husband and I have lived in this neighborhood for 11 years and walk that area all the time.
We can’t let our neighborhood be taken over by crime!!!!!!
(The person who gave these worthless pieces of crap an excuse of the poor economy – get real! This happens in any economy!)
(Again, well said Missy) I had the same response to the economy pretense.
My kids have asked me why crime increases when the economy is bad. They immediately get the concept that having no or less income isn’t an excuse for harming others or property. The way I explain it is that decent folks don’t commit crimes in Decatur no matter what the economy is. My kids have plenty of friends with stable families living in subsidized or modest homes who don’t commit crimes, not now, not 2 years ago.
But any community, rich or poor or in between, has some dishonest and/or violent members. When the economy is good, the community may have more resources–emotional, social, and financial–that serve as a control on the behavior of those folks. Someone with a steady job may be a despicable person, dishonest in their personal life, and not someone you’d want to date, but they are occupied all day; when they lose that job, they may be more likely to take their criminal behaior further out into the communtiy. Families under financial stress may be lose their ability to control a member with violent schizophrenia with costly medications, treatment programs, hospitalization, or to monitor them and report dangerous behavior to the police. Overloaded teachers, paraprofessionals, social workers, and specialists in schools with reduced funding might be less likely to pick up child abuse which allows violence in the home to continue resulting in further criminal injuries to the children and spouse. Underfunded courts and jails puts pressure on our legal system to convict less and release inmates more easily.
I have no idea whether there is any sociological or economic evidence to back up my explanation but it’s my way of acknowledging that the health of the economy is related to crime levels but not an excuse for criminals.
If anyone’s concerned that Snowflake’s summary is too “liberal,” keep in mind that the same phenomenon can be easily restated in more conservative, free-market, personal responsibility terms:
When the economy tanks, the demand for discounted goods increases, which in part drives demand for more goods of dubious origin. Some of the more entrepreneurial of our fringe citizens rise to meet the need.
Either way you want to frame it, it still has a basis in the larger economy. That’s not an excuse. It’s just economics.
yep
Ironic that I posted a note today about my kids’ questions about the economy and crime. My 13 year old son had his mountain bike stolen at Piedmont Park today, in broad daylight, with bystanders passively watching (good news is that they at least could give a description to the police of the kids from the pool who took it). Doesn’t matter whether it was when I was a kid or now, what administration we are under, what the economy is doing, it is always a dumb idea to leave a bike unlocked in an urban area. On the other hand, it’s probably better for my son to learn the hard way about urban crime from a stolen bike than from a mugging.
Don’t know if these pediatric thieves were unsupervised because their parent/guardians don’t care, because their parent/guardians are working 3 part-time jobs after being laid off, because of a lack of affordable summer day camps, or because the kids themselves are incorrigible regardless of what supervision they get. Don’t know if the passive bystanders did nothing because they were scared, indifferent, impaired, or had criminal records themselves.
Wish my son didn’t have to learn about crime, that the kiddie perpetrators weren’t criminals already, but glad that it wasn’t a Mom being hit while pushing a stroller in Decatur.
sorry to hear about the bike! i was going to ask why no-one stopped the thugs when they inserted a four foot piece of pipe into the end of the kryptonite lock to pop it off, or how they stole the quick release front tire since he didn’t pop it off and lock it with the back tire, or they stole the quick release seat since it wasn’t locked on or he didn’t take it with him.
and then i re-read your article and saw “it is always a dumb idea to leave a bike unlocked in an urban area.”
ouch.
i feel bad for your son; a) he lost a bike b) probably has a nice lock with nothing to lock with it c) had to walk home d) had to tell mom and e) lost a bike,
when i was 13, the bike was freedom, expression, a part of me. it was old and junky but it was mine. and when it got stolen when i brought it to college (locked up with a chain they cut), luck prevailed and a few months later i saw it locked up outside the dining hall. so i stole it back. speak softly and carry a big piece of pipe.
good luck to your son!
…can’t hurt to keep an eye on craigslist either.
Ok,
“Crime experts said there was no historical correlation between tough economic times and crime in the United States. Rather, the big shifts in crime trends have more to do with policing strategies and the ebb and flow of illegal substances: alcohol in the prohibition area, heroin in the 1960s and 1970s, and crack cocaine in the 1980s and 1990s…
“Serious criminal behavior is so intensely concentrated in pockets of the nation that the kids who are committing crimes are usually not part of the factory layoff, they’re not affected by the credit freeze or failing mortgages,” said Frank Zimring, a criminologist at University of California, Berkeley.
[and here is why Decatur is a good place to live]
…New policing technologies allow law enforcement agencies to learn about local crime trends in real time and to deploy resources to hot spots. And community efforts to cut down on crime with after-school programs and other social services probably have a bigger impact on crime than the economy in general, Professor Kennedy said.”
Of course this quote is from the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/us/02fbi.html
Perhaps, W. But the NYT has also quoted Richard Rosenfeld, a sociologist at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, in another story with an opposite premise:
“Every recession since the late ’50s has been associated with an increase in crime and, in particular, property crime and robbery, which would be most responsive to changes in economic conditions.” Typically, he said, “there is a year lag between the economic change and crime rates.”
There’s lots of data around, lots of anecdotal evidence, and lots of people trying to interpret it all. Not surprisingly, their conclusions vary across the board. That said, I definitely agree with your point about Decatur’s strong position to address whatever happens.
Cheers Scott, I just have the approach that there is–and always will be–a criminal element in human beings. Every economic level in a society has it’s criminals–the economy has very little to do with it outside of poor people robbing poor people and getting nothing and then having to go to more affluent neighborhoods. Which I’m sure happens not matter what the economy is doing.
When talk turns to crime committed by lower income persons, I like to remind the talker that crime is not limited to certain income groups. Think of the Enron crimes and more other more recent examples of corporate crime.
You may have missed this part from the above post:
“Every economic level in a society has it’s criminals–the economy has very little to do with it… ”
I was actually thinking about Madoff and Spectre, but Enron fits well too.