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Veteran's truck broken into at MARTA station; He believes he was targeted

'It seems like they are targeting veterans because they assume as a veteran, you know, I’m going to keep myself armed.'

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — A veteran is devastated after he said his truck was broken into at a MARTA station this week. 

Stephen Phillips believes he and another alleged victim might have been targeted. 

Phillips said he parked his vehicle at the North Springs Station on Monday as he headed out for a work trip. He's done so several other times in the past, but when he returned two days later, his truck wasn’t in the same condition.

“As I was approaching my truck, I could tell that the glass had been broken," he said.

With a window shattered, he said there was a note from MARTA Police on the windshield, asking Phillips to contact them.

Missing from inside of the truck was his 9mm pistol.

“It’s not even monetary, it’s safety," he said. "So now, somebody has stolen a gun with my name on it.”

Phillips is an Army veteran, and his truck proudly displays this fact.

He soon found out from social media that at least one other car was broken into around the same time. That car also had a license plate tag signaling the owner was a veteran. Philips believes this is no coincidence.

“It seems like they are targeting veterans because they assume, as a veteran, you know, I’m going to keep myself armed," Phillips said.

He said his gun was hidden in a black bag.

“It’s in my car, it’s locked. That’s an extension of my home, and while I probably shouldn’t have left it in my car, and it was accidental - I didn’t intend to leave it in there - but you shouldn’t be breaking into my car," he added.

He prays his gun is recovered before it’s used to commit a crime.

“You never know what they are going to use it for," he said.

Phillips said this MARTA station doesn’t have cameras in the parking area, and that’ll make it difficult to catch the person who did this, though MARTA Police have not confirmed if they have working cameras in that area or if any other guns were stolen from other cars.

MARTA Police, however, did issue the following statement:

The MARTA Police Department is investigating the car break-ins that occurred at North Springs Station. The safety of our customers and the security of the transit system, including our parking areas, remains a top priority. Customers can assist MARTA Police by not leaving valuables in their vehicles and by using the See & Say app to report any suspicious behavior.

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