Decatur Police Alert: Robbery Near East Decatur Station
Decatur Metro | July 6, 2013Yet another alert by Decatur Police…
On Saturday, July 6, 2013 at approximately 12:30 pm, there was a robbery by snatch in the 100 block of New Street. A female was working alone in a front office with the front door propped open when the two suspects entered and stated they were lost and begged to use a bathroom. The victim stated there was no bathroom but one suspect continued to beg and asked if he could cut through the space to go outside and relieve himself. The victim allowed him to do so and upon his return, that suspect pushed the victim from her chair toward the floor while the other suspect grabbed a laptop and the victim’s purse off the table where she had been working. Both suspects fled into the parking lot. The victim observed the suspects enter a silver 2011 Mercedes Benz E350 displaying GA tag #PFH1139 and flee toward East College Avenue. The Mercedes Benz was previously reported stolen to the DeKalb County Police Department. No weapons were shown and there was not a threat to use a weapon. The victim was not harmed. Investigators are working with the Atlanta Police Department on a possible lead involving the victim’s phone being tracked to an area in southwest Atlanta shortly after the robbery. The suspects are described as follows:
Suspect #1:
- Male
- Mid to late teens
- African-American
- Approximately 5’9 and 140 pounds
- Slender build
- Baggy jeans
- Dark green shirt
- Hair in short “twists”
Suspect #2:
- Male
- Mid to late teens
- African-American
- Approximately 5’9 and 140 pounds
- Slender build
- Baggy Jeans
- Mustard yellow shirt
- Hair in short “twists”
*One suspect had the tips of his twists dyed a lighter color but the victim could not recall specifically which one.
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When and how can we put video cameras on every pole with signs that say, “Smile,
you’re on video!” ???
No thanks.
Man, these robberies with force/weapons are getting so common we’re not even commenting much anymore.
I’m impressed that the victim had the presence of mind to note the make and model of car and memorize the license plate which was neither short nor catchy. I probably wouldn’t have even recognized the make.
If these are gang initiations, which seems plausible, they seem to involve a two-step process: steal a car then rob a random victim.
An initiation ritual is exactly what these incidents sound like to me, too. What can be done?
Stop charging juveniles as juveniles when caught, and sending them to detention where they can sharpen their skills for their release in a year. Gun crimes/armed robbery/assaulting someone need to go to adult jail and have adult sentences with few exceptions.
I agree with the way that FEELS. What about creating alternatives for those who have yet to take such a route? No summer camp for criminals on my dollar, but helping others have the same opportunities the more fortunate of us have had is a different story.
Opportunities for those “yet to take such a route” are fine, but once you shove a gun down someone’s throat to take their car, or put it to a woman’s head in the middle of a kids’ t-ball game in broad daylight, absolutely no second chances. Anyone willing to kill for as little as a car or phone go to prison, period. end of story.
+1
“Willing to kill…,” or to threaten to do so disentitles someone to a second chance if you ask me.
If we are talking about 15 year old boys robbing, carjacking, and shooting off weapons, I doubt that the threat of adult jail sentences will make a difference in our current crime spree. Adult jail sentences may be appropriate from the point of view of justice but we shouldn’t assume that they are a preventive. The male 14-17 year old brain can barely remember that shoes need tying, never mind understand and consider the consequences of an action that is being urged by older, influential males. I doubt that most of these 15 year old boys even remember to go to the bathroom before they go out to rob someone. If there’s learning or behavioral problems, consequences are even less likely to be considered. And behind every 15 year old boy who goes to jail, are many other similar 15 year old boys.
I agree. My husband had his iPhone taken from him by three 15-year-olds as he left his shift at Atlanta Medical Center a few weeks ago (literally as I was in mid-sentence on the phone with him, saying “You should probably put your phone away; you’re not in a great area”). They did it at 5pm, in broad daylight, with all kinds of witnesses around. One of the kids walked up and hit my husband in the jaw, and another took the phone and ran. My husband started yelling for people to call the police, and a whole bunch of them did; in the 10 minutes it took him to walk back to the hospital and call the police, two of the kids had already been caught. They were clearly not thinking too hard about the potential consequences of their actions, either for their victim or for themselves.
I’ve lived in Atlanta for over a decade and haven’t typically worried too much about crime (hell, I even lasted for a year in Edgewood), but I’m starting to get worried about walking out my front door. I hate feeling paranoid like this. I want to be able to walk downtown with my 4-year-old without worrying about someone pulling a gun on us.
15 year olds know good and well carjacking/robbery is breaking the law. Whether or not they consider the consequences or if it is a deterrent, is pretty much irrelevant. Hey, John Doe raped/assaulted/shot someone, but didn’t think he would ever get caught/ruin someone’s life, so let’s not give him an appropriate sentence because bless his little heart blah blah blah. I know that’s not what you are saying, but there has to be a point where we stop excusing this behavior because teens are teens, boys will be boys, whatever. I accept the fact that the teen brain has not fully matured to what it will be in adulthood (which is my understanding of why they can’t be executed.), but they know what they are doing is wrong, Based on my limited knowledge of juvenile detention, it is nothing like real prison, and some of these teens need prison for the types of serious crimes they are committing. I hope I do not sound self-righteous because that’s not who I am. I do believe people can be saved, and in redemption, my belief is that treating serious crimes with serious consequences may save their lives down the road, and other people’s as well.
There have been guns pulled on several people during this most recent spree, a couple of people shot (one fatally), and just last night, people in East Atlanta were held up by a robber using an automatic weapon. Jail doesn’t necessarily need to be a deterrent, we need to be kept safe from these people until they can understand this sht has to stop. And if it takes a 15 or 16 year old 10 years in prison to get that through their heads, then so be it.
i just don’t think jail sentences, one way or another, adult or juvenile detention, will have an effect on crime in Decatur. I don’t understand why there’s such a surge right now but I doubt it is due to juvenile vs adult sentencing. That factor hasn’t changed. I suspect increased gang activity. Gangs are not afraid of jail; they flourish there. I’m hearing of a similar surge in the Toco Hill residential area. I’m hoping that this is all coincidental, a few bad actors out of school for the summer. But having lived in LA and NYC, it feels more like gangs.
The male 14-17 year old brain can barely remember that shoes need tying, never mind understand and consider the consequences of an action that is being urged by older, influential males. I doubt that most of these 15 year old boys even remember to go to the bathroom before they go out to rob someone.
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Are you trying to be funny or are you really saying that teenage boys — the vast majority of which never commit felonies — are uniquely stupid?
AHID has often spoken along this theme, with the obvious conclusion that all teenage boys are incapable of making intelligent decisions. Don’t bother trying to call her out on it; her contempt for the teenage male is impossible to pierce, and she’ll bombard you with “proof” that this slice of the population is indeed, as you put it, “uniquely stupid.”
Actually, it breaks my heart that there are 15 year old boys involved in such awful stuff.
+1, didn’t take the bait
Not stupid, immature. Many will grow up to be world leaders and most will grow up to be fine men. But it is a vulnerable age when the testosterone to judgment ratio is quite high. If 15 year olds are on crime sprees in Decatur, it’s a very bad sign. They are can be influenced by real bad actors and may do truly crazy dangerous things because many do not have the planning and judgment to avoid consequences.
So, are we resigned to throwing our hands up and saying “Oh, well” since these teenagers are incapable of appreciating the consequences of their actions? Or, should we make the consequences so damn severe that a few will have no choice but to learn?
We need to start prosecuting these violent criminals as adults. If enough of their peers, family members, etc. spend a decade in prison, I think at least some of them will get the message. And maybe I am wrong about this, but I beleive that juvies’ records get wiped clean when they turn 18, and we start counting strikes all over again. Why are we giving them a free pass?
No, we don’t throw up our hands. Not sure what we do do, especially since the problem is more City of Atlanta then City of Decatur. I just don’t think we should put all of our eggs in the jail sentence basket. To me, jail sentencing addresses the justice issue, not prevention. By the time justice is issued, people have been robbed, guns have been shot, lives have been lost, people have moved away. I know there are examples of communities ridding themselves of violent crimes and gangs. I’m pretty sure it took more than jail sentencing.
Sentencing is supposed to be a deterrent in addition to punishment. The problem here is that the rewards far outweigh the risks for minors. If these criminals knew they would be incarcerated until they were 50, do you really think none of them would reconsider their choices before they pull on a gun on a family to steal a freaking iPhone? Not saying that sentencing is the only solution, but it needs to be a part of it.
Why do you characterize this as a City of Atlanta problem? Because the thugs live there? If they are actively commiting these crimes on a daily basis within the boundaries of CoD, I would argue it is as much our problem, if not more.
Problem’s ours, solution is more theirs (grammar?), at least in terms of jurisdiction.
They are can be influenced by real bad actors and may do truly crazy dangerous things because many do not have the planning and judgment to avoid consequences.
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Have you considered that the 15 year olds who rob at gunpoint ARE the real bad actors? It takes something more — actually, a lot more — than poor judgment and immaturity to commit violent crimes. Most teenage boys can be influenced to bend the rules or get a little stupid sometimes, sure, but I don’t think peer pressure or simple immaturity explains this level of criminality. Maybe these are just evil people. Young, but evil.
“Maybe these are just evil people. Young, but evil.”: THAT is an interesting question. Do not know answer. Entire professions and philosophies struggle with this, no? All I know is that, over my lifetime, I haven’t met more than a handful of young children who struck me as evil. After that, what happens?….
At Home…
Just for what you just mentioned, it’s that much scarier.
No consequences. Be it at home, or in our justice system.
It is happening everywhere, even Peachtree City – this article states that one of the suspects was charged with participation in a criminal street gang. All suspects are 16 years old.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/3-teens-charged-peachtree-city-walmart-carjacking/nYfyW/
Here is a better article – http://www.thecitizen.com/articles/07-06-2013/3-teens-arrested-ptc-armed-hijacking
All three have been charged with participation in a criminal street gang. Law enforcement from several precincts went through a lot to capture these guys. Kuddos to them.
It sounds like we need to put more tax dollars to working on tackling the growing gang problem in this city. If we don’t get it under control, we could end up like LA. I for one would be willing to support more resources directed toward tackling the growing gang problem, but we must make our public officials aware of how important we think this is if we want them to do anything.
You mean City of Atlanta, right? That’s part of the problem for us. I doubt we have a gang problem within the City of Decatur borders but there may be one nearby in areas over which we have no official control. Rooting out gangs takes a huge commitment on the part of law enforcement, local government, and residents.
Do you really not think there’s gang activity inside City of Decatur limits? I’m not sure that the gang members take a minute to check out the city limits signs before they commit a crime.
Activity yes. I should have said that I don’t think we have gangs based in Decatur. Sorry.
Probably because COD 15-year-olds are smarter and less vulnerable than those in other places.
Who cares if they are based in the City of Atlanta or Decatur? I can see the Atlanta City Limits from by door and it’s impacting Decatur whether they are based here or not.
Agree but who’s in charge of taking care of the problem depends on jurisdiction, right? DPD can’t deal with problem until crimes occur in our jurisdiction.
Well, I think we’ve been having some crimes occur in our jurisdiction.
As far as gangs go, it doesn’t matter to me where they are based. Clearly, we now have a gang problem and need something in place to deal with it if we are going to live here safely.
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/man-robbed-with-assault-rifles-in-east-atlanta/nYfyQ/
I’m glad I’m too old to be closing bars anymore.
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/man-robbed-with-assault-rifles-in-east-atlanta/nYfyQ/
Do we have any more details on this? I think New St in its entirety is the 100 block.