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Arrests made in East Point DMV theft

By Christian Boone
Jan 20, 2014

Two Atlanta men have been charged in the Dec. 26 smash and grab burglary of two ATMs from a state Department of Motor Vehicles office in East Point.

Donyel Fortson, who had just been released from Fulton County jail on a separate theft charge, and Melvin Lee Holmes, released last January on battery and drug offenses, were arrested Friday by East Point police.

A third suspect is wanted in the theft, which took place in the early morning hours at the DMV branch on 4125 Welcome All Road. The thieves used a van to crash into the office, and surveillance video captured them fleeing in a second van, which was found, set ablaze, nearly three hours later in northwest Atlanta on 120 Anderson Ave.

A security guard working at the DMV office was on the scene but felt outnumbered, said Josh Waites of the office of special investigations for the state Department of Revenue. She took cover and called 911 but the suspects were gone by the time East Point police arrived.

About the Author

A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.

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