Residents fed up with neighborhood break-ins in metro Atlanta

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Some Metro Atlanta residents say they’ve experienced a number of break-ins in their neighborhood.

They said it’s been happening in the Woodland Hills Community in unincorporated DeKalb County.

“It’s a neighborhood that I feel comfortable in, that people feel comfortable in living and people feel comfortable raising families in, and so it’s really painful and really hurtful to see something happen like this multiple times in our neighborhood,” a resident said who does not want to be seen on camera.

According to a DeKalb County Police report, a person broke into his home early Sunday morning, on Janes Lane. The victim was out of town.

The homeowner sent Atlanta News First a video showing the person in his living room.

“In the video, you can see the perpetrator is about to walk out of my front door. The camera is pointed towards my front door, and he turns around, I think he’s noticing my PlayStation and that’s a common thing among this break-in, that multiple times PlayStations have been stolen,” the victim said. “I think he’s noticing my PlayStation sitting next to the camera and he walks up and turns the camera down and unplugs it and presumably takes the PlayStation next to it,” he said.

He also said the suspect took cash and a safe.

“There was kind of petty cash laying around the house that was taken, but no really it was mostly what was in the safe,” he said.

The safe valuables that have been in the family for years.

“Found the key to the safe and took family heirlooms of personal significance. Heirlooms go back two or three generations in the family. So that’s really emotionally damaging part Is those heirlooms,” he said. “Knowing that that was taken and seeing that was what he got, it was tough to see because it’s not just things that were in my home, it was things that have significance to multiple generations of people in the family and so it hurts, and it hurts people close to me. It hurts everyone in my family,” the man said.

On Thursday night, another report states a burglary happened while that victim was also away.  His camera notified him through his phone.

“It woke me up. I had my phone was buzzing and I got a phone call alerting me and yeah you got through a bit of panic,” said the victim who lives on Woodland Hills Drive.

“It’s shocking. In our case, an alarm went off and we think that spook someone to not stay in the house too long,” he said.

Additionally, back in July, a third report shows a woman discovered her home was broken into. She sent Atlanta News First a picture of her closet ransacked. She said the suspect got away with heirlooms, a safe, and a small amount of cash.

“The pattern that it was homes that were visibly empty for a few days, going in through a back door, and looking for jewelry, and things like that,” a victim said.

While there’s no word on if these incidents are connected, residents are asking anyone who knows the man in the video from Sunday’s incident, to call Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS. They are offering a reward in an undisclosed amount.

You can also send tips to: woodlandhillstipline@gmail.com

“Number one hope is that this doesn’t happen again to anyone in the community. Then on top of that, would love to get those items back and see the person held responsible face justice,” a victim said.

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