Some Atlanta Shriners will have to walk in the holiday parades this year after thieves stole their mini-cars.
Burglars broke into about 30 units at an East Point storage facility earlier this month, including the unit for the Prince Hall Shriners' Nabbar Temple, past potentate Primis James said.
They cut the fence and stole seven mini-cars, worth about $2,000 each, from the Extra Space Storage on Lakewood Avenue. They also took a dune buggy, an air compressor and a large tool box, police spokesman Det. Cliff Chandler said Monday.
On Sunday night, the suspects returned. But they fled empty-handed after seeing police in the area, James said.
"We have three cars left. We think they were trying to come back and get those," James said.
Police searched the area, but were unable to locate the suspects.
“We’re evaluating surveillance, but it hasn’t been fruitful,” Chandler said. “We have no idea who we’re dealing with.”
Police have no suspect descriptions.
The Shriners have since relocated the three remaining cars. They had housed their go-karts at the East Point facility for 20 years and never had any problems, James said.
"We can’t figure out what they want them for," said James, a member of the Shriners' motor unit for more than 20 years.
James said he assumes thieves plan to try and sell the cars, but he said they will never be as valuable as they are to the Shriners.
"We do parades to makes kids smile. When the kids smile, the parents smile," James said.
The Shriners are offering a reward for information on the burglary. Any one with information may contact East Point Police.
The Shriners are trying to raise enough money to purchase new cars before the College Park Christmas parade in December. The motor unit was also scheduled to be in several Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations.
"We'll do fundraisers, but we don’t have the money laying around to replace those cars," James said. "Our goal is to get back in the street one day."
Donations can be sent to the Nabbar Temple Motor Unit at 330 Auburn Ave., Atlanta, GA 30312.
Extra Space Storage did not return phone calls Monday.
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