Updated 9/5/2008 8:56:37 AM
ATLANTA -- "This is not a testament for the many thousands of individuals that have come to seek refuge here in Atlanta."
With that comment, Atlanta Police Department spokesman Officer James Polite tried to add some context to the arrest of four New Orleans hurricane evacuees for a "smash and grab" robbery spree.
Officer Polite said three women and one man were caught during a brief foot chase Thursday evening, following robberies at two Buckhead clothing stores. The Luna clothing store was hit around 5:45 p.m. and the Brazil Italian Menswear a short time later. Police spotted the suspects in a Pontiac G6 with Louisiana plates before they bailed out and ran. He said their ages range from 19 to their early '20's.
"We open up our arms to them," Officer Polite said about the recent influx of Hurricane Gustav evacuees. "Our heart goes out to them, (the) law abiding citizens," he added, "It's these very few individuals that choose to do this and we've taken them off the streets this evening."
The Thursday night arrests came only hours after Atlanta Police caught three other "smash and grab" suspects following a car chase that ended at Atlantic Station. One had been wounded in the shoulder at the Lenox Square Mall Bloomingdale's store which was robbed just before noon. He was shot by an off-duty Fulton County Sheriff's Deputy working a private security job at the mall. Police said four male suspects were in the car, but one managed to get away after they crashed into another vehicle at the Atlantic Station development in midtown.
It's not clear yet if Thursday's two robbing sprees are related, but all seven suspects were caught by a special police squad recently formed to deal with a rash of such robberies in Atlanta over the past year. The squad has been patrolling and staking out several retail areas that have been repeatedly targeted by bandits. "It's a testament to the Atlanta Police Department, the 'Blue Jean Task Force' and Chief Pennington," Officer Polite added, "the citizens of Atlanta basically said 'enough'!"
Police officers recovered several pairs of designer jeans from the New Orleans suspects' abandoned car and numerous high priced handbags found in the crashed car from the earlier Bloomingdale's hold-up. All seven suspects face several felony charges.
