Police are trying to reunite roughly 100 stolen items with their southwest Atlanta owners, as a woman from the Mozley Park neighborhood sits in jail for allegedly buying stolen tools, motorized lawn equipment, and computers and other home electronics.
Beverly Barnes, 63, was arrested last week and charged with theft by taking and maintaining a disorderly house, and is being held in the Fulton County jail on $4,000 bond, authorities said.
"Over a couple of months' time, we believe there were 10 to 20 burglaries in the area that are possibly linked to [Barnes'] home," Atlanta Police Lt. Jeff Baxter said.
Following the burglaries in the Mozley Park area, investigators learned that Barnes' home was supposedly a place where stolen goods could be sold for cash, Baxter said.
Police said they executed a search warrant Thursday at the home, in the 1500 block of Mozley Place, and seized dozens of laptop computers, printers, external hard drives, computer towers and monitors, wireless routers, radios, cameras, lawnmowers, chainsaws, power tools and bicycles. Barnes was arrested.
"We're still trying to get the gist of what she would do once she received the items," Baxter said. "We're really not sure at this point what she planned to do once she received enough items."
Police said they have an arrest warrant for Shawn Wilson, 26, charging him with burglary for allegedly having stolen at least some of the items confiscated from Barnes' home. And police are working to get arrest warrants for others.
"We're hoping once we have a conversation with [Wilson], we'll be able to unravel some more folks that were involved in bringing the items in to her," Baxter said.
More arrests are likely, and additional charges could be filed against Barnes, Baxter said.
Police also want to help victims reclaim their stolen belongings.
"We're going through the painstaking effort of going back through police reports and trying to link police reports and trying to link serial numbers that people gave in their police reports with these items," he said. "We would love to be able to link up any victims that might be out there with the property that's here."
Police are asking potential victims to call investigators at the Zone 1 precinct at 404-799-2487.
Tips to help police retrieve your stolen items:
• Mark items.
• Keep computers password protected.
• Keep serial numbers for electronics or mechanical items.
About the Author
