Nationally renowned Buckhead author Danielle Rollins, who survived a bold home invasion attempt the day after Christmas , believes the incident was a well-planned scheme.
"They cased me for weeks," she told the AJC.
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Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Since the harrowing attempt she has been reviewing video footage captured by her security cameras. Cars cruising slowly by her home at random hours stood out.
"I think they are driving around just looking for any and all opportunity, then studying it to create a scenario they know gives them the opportunity of when to do things," she said. "What scares me is how well they seem to know the area."
Police responded and were unable to chase down the suspects but recovered a black ski mask, glove and other items inside a backpack the suspects dropped. Authorities also recovered weapons including a gun that turned out to be stolen from a Sandy Springs burglary, rubber gloves, duct tape, pepper spray and other items.
The incident occurred days after someone broke into a number of cars at the nearby 10 Terminus building at Peachtree and Piedmont and months after a violent home-invasion around the corner from Rollins' home left local events planner Toni Moceri badly injured.
Moceri was robbed inside her home and held at gunpoint for more than 90 minutes as two masked men demanded jewelry and cash. At the time, Atlanta police said it had been the second such crime reported in their upscale neighborhood in less than a month.
Rollins and Moceri both shared their ordeals to raise awareness and stress vigilance. While the Atlanta Police Department investigations continue, Rollins is stepping up security measures and has hired a private security guard.
"It seems more educated, opportunistic, predatory," Rollins said of the crimes in her upscale neighborhood. "They knew the area, the houses, the layout of how to access connecting houses from back patterns of people, who was home and who wasn't."
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