Christmas Eve Fayetteville Road Robbery Caught on Tape
Decatur Metro | December 26, 2011Kevin sent along a link to a note that he posted on the Oakhurst message board on Christmas Eve with this video and note…
We were robbed this morning at 8:30 am on Fayetteville.
We were not home but got a video of the thieves kicking our door in and carrying our Christmas presents to a car.
The footage will be on Fox 5 tonight, but please feel free to share the below video. Please contact www.crimestoppersatlanta.org
(404-577-8477) if you have any info or Investigator Vandiver with Decatur PD (404-516-0278).
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Grrrr. I hope Decatur finest gets those jerks pronto!
This makes me sick to my stomach.
At 3:46 it shows the license plate. It can’t be read, but if anyone has any super zoom technology to visualize it could be helpful. Problem is that it could be a stolen vehicle, so may not help (or stolen license plate).
Somebody please find these scumbags & give some justice.
Comment: Hope the unopened presents had underwear and socks in them. (Not that underwear and socks aren’t a great gift but not what thugs are probably looking for.)
Question: Was there a reason that the videocamera was running? Was there a concern about break-ins?
I’m interested to know that, too.
It’s crazy that it was on a Saturday morning. I’m guessing the offenders watched this house and knew no one was home.
Glad they got this all on video. Hate that it happened
I have several friends that have video security cams on their homes. It’s virtually impossible to prevent these types of break-ins but at least you put the perps on candid camera.
For those unfamiliar with the technology, do the video security cams go on the outside of the house or do you record through a window? Do you try to make them hidden and how so? Why don’t thieves see them and dismantle them?
I have one friend where the cameras are mounted on the outside in plain sight. This works as a deterrent. But yes, a masked intruder could walk up and disable the camera via a can spray paint. Another friend has them hidden for that very reason. And typically, people place them inside the home as well also front door, back door, etc. It just depends on how elaborate you want your system.
Several observations:
The car looked like a rental.
Obviously teenage, maybe young teenage boys, ‘cept maybe the last one. At 8:30 AM on a Saturday? They must’ve had strong incentives. Like, oh, gang stuff?
You could see some of their faces pretty clearly in the video. I’ll bet there’s a parole officer somewhere within 20 miles that knows at least one of them.
I 2nd the rental theory. Looks like a 2012 dodge intrepid. Rented by any of them. Who, other than the family, is ever in the house? Contractors? Cleaners? Any recent random solicitors? I live off 5th and had a kid come asking for donations in the rain last week. Seemed odd. But I’m suspicious by nature after some older burglaries. Seems this happens more when school is out too.? Seems to always be kids.
I thought that some of the thieves looked teenage too but I find the age 15-25 year old crowd kind of amorphous and hard to distinguish by exact age. My children did not recognize any of them so I think not recent City of Decatur residents who’ve been to our schools, camps, Rec Center activities, etc. That’s small comfort to the victims. But I continue to think of our middle and high school as relatively safe places (I say relatively because some teens even in the poshest schools get into trouble) and I would be concerned if our kids were involved.
The last one looked and moved like a female. I my opinion.
So sorry this happened to you. Jerks.
I’ve seen the first kid around the village. I used to live next to the park and have seen him walking through the gravel cut through too. I’ll call decatur pd if I see him again. I never forget a look and gait. The best part, these stupid kids have no idea how motivated and tech savy we Atari-gen adults can be when people steal from us. We will catch them along with Decatur pd. sorry this happened to you.
Don’t wait to call the PD about the one you think you know. Call them now. Your info could be one piece of a puzzle.
Close ups of the perps.
http://ivanreyes.tv/christmas-thieves.jpg
Why are the images reversed?
After seeing the close-ups, these look like men, not under 18 year olds, with the possible exception of the first one who has the springy step of a teen but I can’t see the face well enough to determine whether is a man or teen.
Sorta mind blowing that 3 joggers and 2 vehicles are seen passing by prior to the break in, and then in the span of time it took for them to remove all the stuff from the house, nobody else came by. Would seem like if those folks have security cams then there is also an alarm.
Most of these systems are video only, no audio. Chances are good the homeowners did have an alarm that went off, thus the brevity of the heist.
this makes me sick to my stomach. i am so sorry that this happened to you – and i feel terrible that i live right behind this street and never noticed a thing. i really hope decatur pd find these people and give us all sanity back. i am now calling everyone i know in the area to make sure my house is okay. i know the feeling, its happened to us before. your family is in my thoughts as you work to get your “security” back.
scum bags.
First this, then Java Monkey (again!). Something Karass said the other day, about it seeming that the crime stats reported being lower than our latest reality seems, is starting to resonate with me. Maybe Oakhurst does need its own precinct again.
Heartfelt sympathies to the family who were victimized by these bush league rogues. I have every confidence that DPD’s finest will nab them soon!
Go to crimerports.com and get the app if you have an iPhone. I have alerts set up for new reports. Looks like there is a delay in input since 12/19 because of the holiday.
Just saw the story on 11Alive. Hope they get close to catching these kids/adults/thieves.
That was incredibly creepy to watch. Hard to find anything positive in something so crappy, but it was absolutely a blessing that no one was inside.
Hello All… I’m a resident of North Village in Decatur… Many homes in our neighborhood have been broken into the same way since last week.. The last attempt was on yesterday Dec. 27th around 7 p.m. One of our residents was home when the young men attempted to kick in her back door … 4 young men/teenagers had been seen hanging around our neighborhood and we believe they live in the apartment complex (Britney Apartments)… They young men could be one and the same… I hope this helps..
I doubt the police are reading this blog. Perhaps you should call them, especially if you really believe the 4 individuals you have been seeing might be involved in these break-ins.
We already have called the police and given them all the same information in a police report when the home in our neighborhood was broken into
I don’t know North Village; is it in the area around Memorial between Columbia and Covington? Just trying to place it.
yes… its about a block down on the left from the Exxon and McDonalds on Memorial Drive
can anyone tell the make and model of that car?
Looks like a late model dodge intrepid or other dodge. Popular rental car model.
I live next to a home that’s a bit run down and seems vacant. During Xmas week someone actually kicked in the home’s side door, breaking the frame. Perp ran away when he heard footsteps of the elderly woman living there. If you can, convince neighbors to leave a few lights on and possibly a vehicle in the driveway.
I live not far form Fayetteville. This morning, my wife was out front of our house. Three men came to the top of our street. Two stood at the corners of the street, and one walked down the street, looking closely at each house. As soon as he saw my wife, he stopped, turned and went back to the top of the street, where he and the two other guys left quickly, headed toward the Village. The guy walking down the street was dressed so his face was covered, but she does not think he was one of these guys. She called the police and reported what she saw. Thankfully, most people are home on our street most days of the week, but that doesn’t mean these guys won’t try something.
Kudos to your wife for doing the right thing. Everyone who sees something out of the ordinary should call. If you’re on a cell use 404-373-6551 to make sure you’re routed directly to Decatur and not DeKalb (assuming you’re in the City). Program it in.
And yes, the police do read this blog.
The best defense for crime is to not present the opportunity and have good communication with neighbors. Watch out for one another. And if something isn’t right, call the police. They want to investigate what’s going on. As one officer told me, better to call it in than do nothing and have something happen. And also…don’t forget about this in a week or a month. You have to have the mindset everyday. Unfortunately, our urban Mayberry is not tv Mayberry.
A friend of mine posted this video on facebook too, doing so might help it circulate to more eyes. The sight of these grinches carrying out wrapped gifts so casually is nauseating. I am so sorry for this family, and I hope their Christmas wasn’t ruined. I agree with B- we all need to watch out for each other. My family is way too casual about leaving doors unlocked, bikes out, etc. I’m at home a good bit of the day, and whenever I see something weird out of the window, I stop and watch for a bit, just to make sure all is well. Decatur is really pretty far from Mayberry- spend a day at the courthouse and you will agree.
i think the last one is solomon j holmes.
Probably need to call Decatur pd.
Follow @DecaturGrinch or go to http://twitter.com/decaturgrinch for latest updates
Amazing amount of coverage of this. Maybe the victims can market their social media approach to home invasion. I’d certainly consult with them if hit.
I had to do a quick search but I remembered a similar story in Atlanta from a year or so ago. No real marketing necessarily, just getting it out to as many eyes as possible. Hopefully these folks will have the same results.
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/youtube-crime-surveillance-tool/story?id=8702462#.Tv8p1dSJd0Y
What I find amazing is that so often I have mentioned Decatur’s crime problem to fellow residents, and I am looked at like I have just placed the proverbial youknowwhat in the punchbowl. No! Decatur is a little oasis of perfection. Any acknowledged crime (Fellini’s, gunshot victime near Eddie’s Attic) is just a random fluke. Yet this string is filled with ongoing reports of recent home invasions burglaries and sightings of suspicious dregs of society lurking around. Why can’t we admit that Decatur is surrounded by some very dangerous areas. Atlanta is constantly being named in the nation’s most dangerous cities, and it doesn’t stop at city limits. Time to be honest. Oh, and these aren’t “kids.” Regardless of age, they are predators.
Please, this Is about a specific topic. If you want to rant about this, do it on the Friday free for all.
Please, that really isn’t for you to decide.
Nor you.
Precisely, little man.
I think her comment fits in well right here.
I really want to comment but cannot do so here without breaking at least three New Years resolutions. #judgmentalanonymousbloggerdudes…