Five suspects staged a daring hair-weave burglary in Buckhead early Saturday, but their getaway was cut short after crashing into a tree, police said.
Atlanta Police Capt. Van Hobbs said police are investigating whether the suspects, four of whom were taken into custody after the crash off Sidney Marcus Boulevard, are responsible for other similar robberies in metro Atlanta.
The robbery occurred just before 2:30 a.m. in a shopping center at the corner of Piedmont Road and Sidney Marcus Boulevard.
Police told Channel 2 Action News the suspects smashed windows at Sandy’s Hair Care Co. and the Scottish Tobacco store next door, and almost got away with 93 packages of hair extensions worth $13,000 and 13 cartons of cigarettes.
After seeing they had attracted the attention of an off-duty police officer working security at a Waffle House across the street, the suspects fled in a silver car. The vehicle, however, crashed into a tree a short time later.
Four of the suspects were arrested after the crash, but the fifth got away on foot, police said.
Sandy’s Hair Care owner Jonathan Lee told Channel 2 the suspects knew “exactly what to take.”
“Seeing their reaction on exactly what to take, they just came in, took and went right out, so they've probably been doing this for a long time,” Lee said. The merchandise was returned to the store owner.
Thieves have stolen thousands of dollars in hair extensions from metro Atlanta hair care stores in recent months, the latest smash-and-grab target.
In one of the largest heists, burglars on Sept. 23 stole hair extensions worth more than $100,000 from the Beauty Master store on Mt. Zion Road in Morrow. In August alone, thieves broke into at least three metro beauty supply stores in a 10-day period.
Hobbs said the suspects in Saturday’s incident were pretty brazen to carry out the burglary despite the well-lighted area.
“Even though it's night, it's still like broad daylight, and you're out here stealing in front of businesses,” Hobbs told Channel 2. “It's just crazy.”
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