ATLANTA — Parts of Buckhead are known for its nightlife, but several men said while they were out at one bar, they were possibly drugged and then robbed.
11Alive spoke with one of those victims who opened up about his experience as Atlanta Police continue to investigate what happened.
The man asked us to refer to him as John for safety concerns. He said he feels violated, and as he waits for justice, he’s speaking out to warn people.
“I just don’t know what happened in that time span, and that’s when they must have taken everything,” John said.
He said he went to “30” on Feb. 24 -- a bar in Buckhead. John said on that same night, his life changed.
“My friends mentioned that they just saw me go to the bathroom, and then they weren’t sure where I was after that. I don’t remember really much after that at all, and I don’t know if someone had drugged me. I didn’t think that I drank that much."
John said he felt disoriented and different than he normally does when he drinks, and even though it wasn’t time to leave, he somehow found himself in a car being driven by someone he didn’t know, and it was not a ride share.
“I had a very vague memory of being in the back of a car, and there was someone driving it. All I remember is, like, I didn’t have my phone on me, and that was worrying me a lot, and I was just like, 'Why? Where’s my phone? Like, what’s going on?' I woke up in my apartment the next day, and my phone, my wallet (were stolen), I had a Rolex watch stolen. I had some jewelry from my apartment and an iPad stolen as well,” John said.
Furthermore, he said almost $15,000 was spent or removed from his accounts. But John isn’t alone; according to Atlanta Police, other men have reported similar experiences of being potentially drugged at Buckhead area bars and their phones and credit cards stolen.
“This is organized crime. This is people actively preying, like a predator,” John said.
In a response, APD sent the following statement:
“While we are not at a point of releasing details on each of these investigations, I can tell you these are cases we take seriously and our investigators are committed to finding who is responsible and apprehending them. Investigators have identified one suspect and have secured warrants for their arrest.”
“I can’t even trust going to a bar anymore because I'm just like I don’t know if it was the bartenders. I don’t know if it was someone at the bar. I don't know if it was, you know, just some random person off the street that just picked me up and was just like, 'Let's take him for a ride.' I’m afraid to be in my apartment. I have so much stress and I’m not able to do my job. Like, it's just been really, really tough for me,” John said.
The areas where these crimes have occurred are ones where patrols are increased, and many nearby businesses employ off-duty officers at their business to help deter crime. With many of these incidents occurring inside a crowded establishment or without the victim initially being aware, it is a challenge for law enforcement alone to address these thefts before they occur.
There are many sources for safety tips to help have a healthy and safe night out drinking. Below are just a few shared by the Atlanta Police Department to avoid becoming a victim:
- Drink with friends and ensure your friend group stays together and looks out for one another.
- Pay close attention to your drink throughout the night. Never leave your drink unattended.
- If you see someone tampering with your drink, stop drinking and call police as soon as possible.
- Be alert and pay attention to your surroundings. If you see criminal activity, report it -- especially drink tampering.
- Consider leaving valuables at home. If you will be drinking to the point where you will be impaired, have a plan for protecting your valuables and ensuring no one takes advantage of your impaired state.
- Have a plan for how you will get to and from the location.
- Let someone know where you will be.
- Ensure a password is needed to access financial apps on your phone.
Atlanta Police Department's full statement:
The Atlanta Police Department is aware of these cases and is investigating each. Investigators routinely look for connections to similar, nearby cases as well as for any possible connection to potential cases throughout our jurisdiction and in surrounding areas. While we are not at a point of releasing details on each of these investigations, I can tell you these are cases we take seriously and our investigators are committed to finding who is responsible and apprehending them. Investigators have identified one suspect and have secured warrants for their arrest.
These kinds of crimes do pose some challenges to investigators. Sometimes the trail to identifying a suspect is an easy one, but many times it requires significant work to properly determine who the suspect is. We understand the frustrations of some victims, but we are actively investigating and working to identify anyone involved in these crimes.
We urge anyone who has been the victim of a crime to call police and report it as soon as possible. Reporting crime quickly aids in the investigation as well as in identifying crime trends.