Man leaves vehicle running outside NW Atlanta bank, returns to find thief inside

A man lost more than $1,000 and multiple electronic devices in a "slider crime" in northwest Atlanta.

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

A man lost more than $1,000 and multiple electronic devices in a "slider crime" in northwest Atlanta.

Police are searching for armed robbers who stole several items from a man Wednesday night outside a northwest Atlanta bank.

The victim, a 27-year-old Florida man, told police that he left his girlfriend’s 2020 Range Rover unlocked and running when he stopped to deposit cash at the Bank of America off Howell Mill Road about 11:30 p.m. He told Channel 2 Action News he was planning to be quick.

“I know better and what not. It was a mistake,” the man, who asked Channel 2 to remain anonymous, said.

As the man finished entering his PIN, he heard his car door slam shut, the news station reported. A man was in the vehicle, struggling to shift it into drive.

“He didn’t know how to put it in drive. It’s a new car,” the man said.

Most “slider crimes” don’t involve the victim jumping back into the vehicle, but police said the man was able to get back into the car before the suspect figured out how to shift it into drive. A struggle ensued as the vehicle began to move.

“He couldn’t really control the car and ran over the Bank of America ATM and median, and that’s when I fell out of the car,” the man told Channel 2.

The suspect ran away from the damaged vehicle, which had also struck a pole, and he got into a getaway car, police said. A second man in that vehicle pointed a gun at the victim, telling him not to move. No gunshots were fired, and the two thieves drove away with about $1,800, a laptop, a cellphone and the man’s wallet.

No other description of the suspects were provided, and police are reviewing surveillance footage in an attempt to identify them.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact CrimeStoppers at 404-577-8477 or online at www.StopCrimeATL.com. Tips can be sent anonymously and information that leads to an arrest and indictment in this investigation can earn tipsters up to $2,000.

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