Armed robbery at popular Virginia-Highland coffee shop
A robber armed with a small-caliber handgun interrupted the afternoon rush at the popular San Francisco Coffee shop in Virginia-Highland on Thursday, calmly waiting in line before demanding a barista empty his cash register.
The gunman didn't get away with much, said Brandon Morrison, who was in the back of the store, located at the intersection of Highland and Amsterdam avenues, during the robbery.
"We just had a shift change," he said.
The robbery, which occurred around 2:30 p.m., transpired quickly and no one was injured, said Morrison, 32.
The victim didn't want to talk about the incident. An Atlanta police spokesman said the gunman was wearing a tan cap with a gray long sleeve shirt that had writing on the front.
Va-Hi, known as a generally safe part of town, was hit by a rash of robberies last fall.
Also, Virginia-Highland residents have been on edge since the Nov. 22 killing of Charles Boyer, gunned down after he and his girlfriend were confronted outside her apartment.
Three members of the "Jack Boys" gang, including alleged ringleader Mario Wise, 18, were charged in Boyer's death.
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.
