The individuals who perpetrated this offense can expect proactive efforts on the part of the neighborhood, and will be liable to lengthy prison sentences under the Georgia Criminal Code once the Atlanta Police apprehends them.

The Georgia Voice and Project Q have published articles about the incidents with details.

• GA Voice article: http://thegavoice.com/index.php/news/atlanta-news/3994-men-mugged-after-leaving-atlanta-gay-bar
• Project Q article: http://www.projectqatlanta.com/news_articles/view/gay_men_beaten_robbed_after_evening_at_blakes?gid=9980

We will post any updates as they become available at our Facebook page.

Update 1/11/2012: Composites added below.

The following narrative came from a police report. We wish to emphasize that we are outraged and concerned about the frequency of crimes committed by teenage criminals using handguns AND about the seeming impotence of the court system in dealing with this dangerous issue.  We appeal to our leaders in the courts, APD, city council and mayor’s office to give us guidance and direction in addressing teenage criminal problems.

Police report narrative:

On 12/30/11, 9:04 pm, I responded with 3503 and several other units to 800 Block of  Monroe Dr. on a carjacking / kidnapping.  Upon arrival the witness, Ms. F, advised that her roommate, Ms. M, had arrived home from out of town and was unloading her car.  She had already brought most of her belongings up to their apartment and had gone downstairs for a few more things.  Ms. F thought that Ms. M was taking a long time so she went downstairs to check on her.

When she went down she saw Ms. M in the driver seat of her car (2008 Honda Civic) and two black males inside the car with her.  As she approached she realized that the suspects were attempting to rob her.  Ms. F began to scream and called 911.  Ms. M then drove her car away.  A lookout of the vehicle was given out.  As we were gathering information Ms. M returned to the apartment at 2115hrs.

Ms. M advised that when she went down to get the last of her belongings out of the back seat two black males approached her.  One black male produced a gun and pointed it at her head and told her to get into the car.  Ms. M got into the back seat with the suspect holding a gun to her head and the other suspect got into the driver seat.  The suspect’s demanded money from her.  Ms. M had already taken most of her valuables upstairs and only had a credit card with her.  They asked her how much money she could withdrawal from the credit card and she stated that it was a credit card, not a debit card and that she could not get any money.  The suspects then talked about going up to Ms. Miller’s apartment to get her money and belongings, but she stated that they seemed nervous because there were several apartments next to her apartment.  The suspects then attempted to drive Ms. M’s vehicle away, but it was a stick shift and they could not figure out how to operate it.  The suspect kept grinding the gears and stalled out several times.  The suspects became more agitated and demanded that Ms. M teach them how to drive the vehicle.  After they were unable to figure out how to drive the vehicle they had Ms. M move from the back seat and told her to drive.  It was at this time when Ms. F came out and began to scream and scared the suspects off.

Ms. M began to talk with the suspects and told them her name and asked them why they were doing this.  They said they were poor and needed money.  Ms. M continued to talk with the suspects as she began to drive west on Ponce De Leon Avenue.  The suspects told her that they were not going to hurt her, but they just needed money.  As she approached Penn Avenue she heard police sirens responding to the carjacking.  The suspects also heard the sirens and told her to stop.  The suspect in the back seat got out and ran south on Penn Ave. towards North Avenue.  Ms. M continued to talk with the subject in the front seat and he directed her to the area of 4th or 5th Street near Myrtle Street or Juniper Street.  He then told her to stop and he said that he was sorry for doing this to her.  He then fled the location.  Ms. M then returned to her apartment.

Units canvassed the area but were unable to locate the suspects. Ms. M stated that the suspect in the back seat kept referring to the suspect in the front seat as “Pitt.”  The victim was not injured and nothing was taken from her.  ID unit 7345 came out to process the scene.  Inv. Shepherd also responded.

Composites (added 1/11/2012

Suspect 1: 

• “Pitt”
• Black male
• 16-18 years old,
• slim build 5’11”
• wearing a winter knit hat, dark colored zip up hoodie.
• Silver hand gun with black handle.

Suspect 2:

• Black male
• 16-18 years old,
• stocky build
• wearing a white or beige hoodie

We will post any updates at our Facebook page.

“Over the course of this year, we have noticed an increasing trend of criminals employing a brazen tactic to steal mobile phones (typically smart phones) from people WHILE THEY ARE USING THEM. Similar tactics are being used to steal laptops and tablets from people WHILE THEY ARE USING THEM. We have highlighted these incidents in our monthly newsletters, but we wanted to further highlight this to our membership to increase awareness. Crime often increases around the holidays, and we want to make sure that you are informed and aware so that your smart phone or laptop/tablet is not someone else’s Christmas present this year.

The common denominator in these incidents (mobile phones, laptops and tablets) is that people are using the devices in public places, which makes the victims less aware of their surroundings. This distraction/lack of awareness creates the opportunity for the criminal to get close enough to you to quickly grab the device from your hands and run away, often into a getaway car parked nearby that speeds off.

Mobile phones have been yanked out of people’s hands while they are talking on them or using them to check Facebook, etc. and have been taken off of tables where people often place their phones while they are eating or drinking. Coffee shops are a very popular place for laptop thefts throughout the city. We have seen a number of reports where the criminal simply walks up and grabs the laptop and runs off. We have also seen reports where the criminal will sit at the table next to the victim for 10 or 15 minutes, and then grab the laptop and run off. Seems these events occur more frequently to people sitting at tables outside coffee shops, but we have also seen incidents that occur inside coffee shops.

Some tips to help prevent this:

• While not ideal, the best way to avoid being a victim of this is to not bring your laptop or tablet to a coffee shop (or other public places) and minimize the use of your mobile phone for extended periods of time in public places. Realizing that is not realistic for many people, try to maintain your awareness of who is around you, where you are sitting, etc. Never leave your laptop on the table at a public place to grab some more Splenda, use the restroom, etc., no matter how quickly you think it may take. A criminal can grab your laptop and run out much quicker.
• Don’t put your mobile phone on the table next to you in a public place. Keep them in your pocket or purse where they can’t be seen or easily grabbed. (Keep that purse in a secure place though!)
• Don’t have earphones in listening to music while working on your laptop in a public place or listening to music on your smart phone while walking around town. You put yourself in a vulnerable position by eliminating the use of one of your primary senses that can alert you to what is going on around you.
• Write down the serial number of your laptop, table and smart phone and keep that information in a safe place (you should do this for all electronics that you have, especially flat screen TVs). If your device is stolen, file a police report immediately and get the serial number information to APD. They will alert the pawn shops so that if your device is brought in for pawn, APD can be alerted and hopefully arrest the criminal. Or, if the device is found later with someone, the serial number can be checked by APD to see if it is stolen and may help lead to the arrest of the criminal.
• Don’t leave these items or anything else in your car!
• If you are a victim of this crime, CALL 911 immediately and file a report. APD needs to know what is going on so that resources can be allocated to combat the problem.

We hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday season.

We have received another report of a later robbery at 3rd & Piedmont. Two people were detained but the victim could not postively identify them so they were released.

This is all the detail we have at this time. Major Leighty has added four additional officers to the Midtown Precinct.

We will post any updates coming our way at our Facebook page

Click for larger composite

The Georgia Tech Police is appealing to the public for assistance as their investigators work to identify a suspect in a reported rape.

On 11/10/2011 at approximately 6:45pm, a female student at Georgia Tech reported being raped in the rear of 750 Fowler Street NW, on the Tech campus. The victim said that the unknown male spoke Spanish and she was unable to understand what he was saying.

The suspect: Hispanic male, approximately 40 years of age, 5’8″ in height, and weighing about 175 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white shirt, black sweat pants and white sneakers.

Information helpful in identifying this perpetrator or aid in the investigation of the case should be directed to the Georgia Tech Police Department at 404-894-2500. Any lead, no matter how trivial it may seem, could prove valuable to investigators.

The police report notes that the driver of the vehicle, Dewon Pitts, responded by engaging the police in a shootout and survived with only a single gunshot wound. A second suspect in the vehicle escaped as Pitts shot at police officers. Investigators know nothing about this second suspect other than that he likely found refuge somewhere in the Bedford-Pine apartments. Pitts was taken to Grady for his gunshot wound sustained during his assault upon the police.

Police and prosecutors have laid 19 charges on Pitts so far, including multiple counts each of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Depending on how you calculate his criminal liability, he should have at least 100 years of prison time coming if found guilty and sentenced to serve consecutively. According to the Criminal Code of Georgia, “A person convicted of the offense of armed robbery shall be punished by death or imprisonment for life or by imprisonment for not less than ten nor more than 20 years,” so he may even be eligible for the death penalty or permanent incarceration on each of the seven counts of armed robbery currently on his booking record. Sharla Jackson, our community prosecutor, confirmed that minimum sentencing applies for armed robbery – ten years to life…

We find it somewhat worrisome that our experience and observations suggest that Fulton County judges tend to sentence offenders rather leniently, as reflected by other cases like the burglar with extensive criminal history convicted earlier this year in a Midtown case being allowed to simply walk away on probation. Because of Pitts’ devotion to a criminal way of life, and given that a robbery at gunpoint is a short step shy of a homicide, we will make this our highest-priority court watch case. If a court in fact convicts Pitts or anyone else for these robberies, anything short of the full brunt of the law would surely offend the sensibilities of the Midtown community put on edge by the latest spate of robberies.

According to our research, he was admitted into Grady on the 25th, but was booked into the jail on the 28th still sporting a hospital gown in his mugshot. He sometimes uses an alias of Roy Latimore. Fulton County records show several bookings under that name, and the Department of Corrections lists that among his known aliases.

The 19 charges also include those in connection with a robbery in Virginia Highland on 10/19. During the police investigation the victims in that incident picked him out in a photo lineup. More charges may be forthcoming, as the outcome of additional photo lineups factor into the ongoing investigation.

Public records show numerous bookings into the Fulton County jail for this seasoned criminal, and the Georgia Department of Corrections notes four periods of imprisonment beginning in 1996. What’s more, Pitts was released last year on parole for a full sentence that runs until May of 2014. From the listing of charges, it appears that the State Board of Pardons and Parole has initiated parole revocation proceedings.

We are grateful not only for the fact that none of the victims were hurt in these incidents, but also for the proactive and diligent work of the Atlanta Police Department in their pursuit of this very dangerous criminal. Our community prosecutor Sharla Jackson assured us that the Fulton County District Attorney’s office will prosecute this case vigorously. We will advise on court watch dates as they arise.

While this is the celebrated arrest that we have been waiting for, please bear in mind:

1. Though it seems to us that the robberies stopped once Pitts was taken into custody, we wish to remind folks not to let their guard down when walking on the streets late at night.

2. The Atlanta Police Department has requested that we withhold photos and mugshots until victims can be shown a photo lineup. As soon as APD gives us clearance to do so, we will post them to the website and link from our Facebook page.

Mugshots of this criminal: Withheld until further notice

In a Nutshell:

In the 165 hours that the patrol worked in the month of October, they made six arrests, intercepted 15 911-calls, took 12 calls for service from MPSA members, and conducted out-of-town patrol visits for 13 members.

Patrol Highlights:

• Early Month: Sgt Cooper continued the Early Morning Watch to relieve the prostitution problem
• Early Month: Sgt Cooper participated in several vagrant camp cleanups in the neighborhood.
• Mid-Month: Sgt. Cooper and MPSA Board member Steve Gower conducted street spam (illegal signs) removal mainly along Ponce. The signs were sent to City of Atlanta Public Works so citations can be written for sign owners.
• 10/04: Shoplifter arrested at member business, and at time of arrest he also racked in charges of obstruction and simple battery.
• 10/10: Sgt Cooper coordinated with Lt Snowden, the APD Midtown Mini-Precinct Commander, to do directed patrols on Ponce in the vicinity of Midtown Tire, due to an uptick in car break-ins.
• 10/12: Sgt Cooper responded to a snatch theft at Myrtle and 9th. The perp ran to Parkway and North.
• 10/13: Subject arrested in a domestic call at a member apartment complex
• 10/14: Deranged individual intercepted and sent to Grady psychiatric unit
• 10/18: Subject arrested for drinking in public
• 10/19: Sgt Cooper followed up to a Burglary on 6th, where a house that was damaged by fire was left wide open.
• 10/19: Prostitute served a criminal trespass warning after complaint from member business.
• 10/22: Subject arrested for drinking in public
• 10/22: Sgt Cooper participated in a Neighborhood Flashlight Walk against crime.
• 10/22: Hosea Smith arrested at Piedmont & 3rd
• 10/24: Sgt Cooper participated in the special safety meeting with Major Leighty, the APD Zone 5 Commander, to address the recent rash of street robberies. Nearly 80 folks attended the meeting at Mary Mac’s
• 10/24: Midtown Tire tuned up the Patrol Vehicle up at no charge to MPSA.
• 10/26: Sgt Cooper met with crime victims from robberies on the previous evening.
• 10/31: Sgt Cooper and Sgt McGinnis patrolled the Halloween activities in the neighborhood.