Wave of car break-ins hits Atlanta grocery stores, leaving victims frustrated
The Brief
Thieves targeted vehicles at grocery stores in Atlanta's Poncey-Highland neighborhood, breaking into at least nine cars over the weekend.
Surveillance footage shows suspects in a black Infiniti breaking into five cars at Kroger in seven minutes, leaving victims financially strained and frustrated.
Atlanta Police report an increase in car-related crimes in the area, urging the public to provide any information about the incidents.
COLLEGE PARK, Ga. - A group of thieves targeted vehicles outside multiple grocery stores in Atlanta's Poncey-Highland neighborhood over the weekend, breaking into at least nine cars and leaving workers frustrated and financially strained.
What we know
The string of break-ins occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning, primarily in the parking lot of the Kroger store off Ponce de Leon Avenue. Five employees who were working overnight reported their cars had been broken into. Just down the street, four more vehicles were hit at a nearby Publix, according to the Atlanta Police Department.
What they're saying
One Kroger employee, who did not want her face shown on camera, said she was working the third shift when the thieves smashed her car window.
"Everybody is out here trying to make a dollar," she said. "It's not easy."
She said the thieves took her bags containing credit cards and $300 in cash. The window repair cost her another $280. "I lost money and had to come up off more money. It's irritating, for sure," she said.
Surveillance video from the Kroger reportedly shows the suspects—four young men in a black Infiniti—breaking into five cars in just seven minutes. "They were in and out," the employee said.
The crimes have left victims feeling violated and wary. "Anything worth value they was taking. Just threw what they didn't want on the ground," the victim said. "I was saving up to get my baby a bed. To take something that doesn't belong to you—it's not right. But I do believe in karma. What goes around comes around."
Big picture view
Atlanta Police confirm the incidents are part of a broader uptick in car-related crimes in the area. Data shows multiple car thefts this month, including a stolen vehicle on Wednesday in Poncey-Highland and four more in the neighboring Old Fourth Ward.
What you can do
Authorities urge anyone with information about the break-ins to contact the Atlanta Police Department.
The Source
FOX 5's Kevyn Stewart spoke with the Atlanta Police Department and residents near Poncey-Highland and the Old Fourth Ward.
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