Alert witnesses and a fast police response led to the capture of three men who allegedly snatched a laptop from its owner at a Starbucks coffee shop in Little 5 Points and tried to flee in a getaway vehicle.
It marked a dramatic end to the latest snatch-and-run theft, a crime in which brazen thieves acting in plain view grab laptops and cell phones out of victims’ hands as they work or talk.
The latest incident occurred about 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Starbucks at 506 Moreland Ave.
The laptop owner and a witness told responding Zone 6 police officers that a man grabbed the computer from a customer’s table and ran to a waiting green Buick as a second man, acting as a lookout, ran to the same vehicle, police said. The Buick then sped away.
Officers immediately began searching, found the Buick a short distance away, recovered the laptop and arrested three men – a 29-year-old and two 19-year-olds, police said.
The theft victim and witnesses identified the men, and each suspect was charged with felony theft by taking, police said.
Police declined to identify the suspects Thursday, saying their investigation was continuing.
"We have had three similar incidents in that area recently," said Officer John Chaffee, Atlanta police spokesman.
"The similarities are that each victim was sitting in or just outside a coffee shop when someone walks up and takes their laptop and runs," Chaffee said. "Investigators are looking into whether these suspects are linked to any other similar incidents."
Police reminded the public that to guard against snatch thieves, users of portable electronic devices should be mindful of their surroundings and call 911 to report suspicious activity, particularly in coffee houses, cafes and other locations with Wi-Fi capabilities.
Or a theft can simply occur on the street. Last month at Georgia State University, for example, a female student was walking along Decatur Street when three suspects approached, snatched her iPad and fled. The next day, a female student was on the third floor of the General Classroom Building when a man snatched a cell phone from her lap.
In a one-month period during February and early March, four GSU students had their phones stolen by bandits who threatened or intimidated them or simply snatched the phones from their hands.
-- Staff writer Mike Morris contributed to this article.
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