In about 30 seconds, at least five men smashed their way into a jewelry store case, helping themselves to nearly a million dollars worth of watches.
But it’s what they left behind that may lead to their capture, Atlanta police said Monday.
“This was well-coordinated and thought-out,” Sgt. Greg Lyon said. “They had seconds to commit this and get away.”
And they did get away. Investigators hope the public can offer additional clues to those responsible, Lyon said Monday.
One of the sledgehammers was left on the floor of Mayors Jewelry during the smash-and-grab Friday night at Lenox Square. Within minutes of the heist, the alleged getaway van was located, along with three of the Rolex watches, according to an incident report obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
There were footprints and personal items found inside the white 2013 Dodge Caravan, according to police. Investigators hope the T-shirts, tennis shoes, underwear and baseball caps will offer DNA clues to help identify their owners.
There were a handful of witnesses, both in the store and where the van was located. But police hope surveillance footage from inside the store answers the biggest question: Who are these guys?
Investigators believe five men entered the store and one was outside, serving as a lookout.
“They spread out around an island in the middle of the store,” Lyon said. “Then they converged on the high-end counter, where some watches cost $100,000.”
No one was injured during the robbery, police said. A spokeswoman for the store’s corporate headquarters declined Monday to speak about the case, but confirmed the company will continue to make its stores safe for employees and customers.
Based on witnesses and security footage, police released six descriptions of suspects, who were all black.
- Suspect 1: He weighed about 230 pounds and was wearing black pants with a black Polo shirt and dark sunglasses.
- Suspect 2: He weighed about 260 pounds, was wearing a long-sleeve shirt with the "ON94" logo on the front, dark jeans, a hat and white tennis shoes.
- Suspect 3: He was wearing a white T-shirt, grey sweatpants with a purple stripe, and his hair appeared to be a in a twist style.
- Suspect 4: He was thin and wore a red baseball hat, red T-shirt, dark jeans and red shoes.
- Suspect 5: He weighed about 190 pounds and wore a white hat, dark jeans, sunglasses and had short hair.
- Suspect 6: He wore black shorts, a tank top with white and red stripes, a red hat, a watch and white and black shoes.
After the men allegedly took watches from the store, they left the mall area in the white Dodge van, according to police. Less than two miles away from the mall, a resident of Rockhaven Circle reported a suspicious vehicle, leading police to the Dodge. Other residents reported seeing men get inside a dark-colored SUV and leave the area, the incident report states.
The van, which did not have a tag, had not been reported stolen at the time it was found Friday night. But investigators have since learned it was stolen from Michigan, Lyon said.
Any information on the case can be submitted anonymously to the Crime Stoppers Atlanta tip line at 404-577-8477, online www.crimestoppersatlanta.org or by texting CSA and the tip to CRIMES (274637), Atlanta police said Monday. People do not have to give their name or any identifying information to be eligible for the reward of up to $2,000 for the arrest and indictment of the suspects.
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