Three readers write in with eyewitness reports of police tape, cop cars, and police dusting for fingerprints and interviewing employees at Fellini’s last night.
What’s going on?
UPDATE: Sounds like it was an armed robbery with numerous gunmen.
Jeez, I hope everyone involved is doing O.K.
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A friend sent me a text this morning saying that 5 guys with guns robbed the Fellini’s in Decatur last night, but I’ve found nothing about it on the news.
Nancy is correct. I’m not sure about the number, I was told told 2 left in a getaway car, but there could have been more than one car.
Oh my. I was out for Terrific Thursday and saw two or three cop cars with their sirens on and flying down on W. Ponce around 8:15pm…
I don’t know details yet but it happened during the dinner rush w/ many patrons inside. Luckily, I hear no one was injured. If anyone can provide further information, please do. Robbing a restaurant at dinner time with multiple witnesses in front of a wall of windows on a fairly busy street corner is a pretty brazen and scary crime.
[...] Metro reports Fellini’s pizza in Decatur was robbed by an armed group of people during the dinner rush last [...]
Damn, I lIve about 100 yards away from this Fellini’s. I never mentioned it on my blog, but my car was broken into a couple of months ago when it was parked on Howard Street right behind there. Sounds like police may need to step up their patrols in this area.
The Decatur Fellini’s was robbed by three armed men around 8pm last night–the restaurant was full, they waved guns in the employees faces. No one was injured. They took the cash register, left the full tip jar…
Rusty, did you report your break-in to the police? They do watch for geographic patterns and stepup patrols when warranted. Patrols are not likely to stop an armed robbery, though.
Thanks for the details Robert. Were you an eyewitness?
Steve, yes, I did report it. The officer who took the call said he suspected an influx of homeless people might explain why someone would do $2,000 to my truck to take a radio that couldn’t have been worth more than $20 or $30.
Thanks, Rusty. The season of the year has something to do with the crime situation also, unfortunately.
Speaking of increased patrols: I drive by N. Candler on Ponce every evening on my way home from work. Since the post here about the armed robbery that took place on Candler, there is almost always a patrol car sitting in the parking lot of the High Tech gas station facing down that street. So apparently the police got the message and are paying more attention to that area. I suspect the walk-up Wachovia ATM off the main drag is like a bug zapper for criminals. They can’t resist it.
I was at Fellini’s when it happened. The main gunman literally fell in the doorway…looked strung out. As soon as he got to the register, I ran out the door and kept running until I saw someone on Sycamore and asked them to call 911. By then the police were on their way. Apparently, everyone started running out, but they didn’t fire any shots. It was really scary…there were families eating there.
This is insane. Fellini’s? I suppose it is a good target since this location is really only surrounded by homes and a few other businesses out of direct eyesight. I used to work at this Fellini’s! Scary.
I am in shock about this–I was there with family and friends after having a nice night making gingerbread houses at Greenes.
We left about 7:30pm…I just can’t believe it
We moved here about 5 months ago and I am in shock about all of the reports of crime and break ins and violence in the area and Dekalb county. I had no idea…makes me nervous about living here…Are these normal occurences???
sorry I meant occurrrences
JP, DeKalb County and the City of Decatur are drastically different in terms of crime. An incident like the one at Fellini’s is pretty rare in the City, more common in the County. Likewise other violent crimes. Crimes against property are more common just about anywhere. Overall, Decatur’s crime rate is consistently lower than almost any other jurisdiction in the metro area. If you are concerned about the City, I encourage you to contact the City PD and talk about it.
The media have a hard time understanding the difference between the City and County, so oftentimes you have to look at the actual location to see if an incident is actually in the City of Decatur.
This armed robbery during normal hours does seem a bit more brazen than most, but it’s hardly a crime free area. Here’s what I’m familiar with that’s happened in that immediate area:
Fellini’s apparently got broken into during the course of the night a few weeks ago and the safe was stolen.
The abandoned house across Hillyer from Fellini’s had someone break in and steal copper piping about 5 months ago
Someone was robbed at the intersection, I think that was about 12 months ago, and occurred late in the evening.
A drugged out person busted thru the window of the house across Commerce from Fellinis at 3am on a Monday and went running through their house, that was about 6 months ago
A car got stolen from the street near Fellini’s about 3 months ago.
I noticed two Decatur Police cars in their lot when I passed by around 11:30 last night, along with a DeKalb Sheriff, so it looks like they’re getting more attention. When I did a ride-along with DPD a couple of months ago, there was a call about an attempted robbery in front of Carpe Diem. We searched that empty house at Hillyer & Pate for suspects in multiple incidents that evening, and I had the impression the officers do that fairly regularly. There was evidence of people having been under the house at least temporarily, but it could have been high school students hanging out.
I’m a reporter at Fox 5, doing a story on the Fellini’s robbery. Anyone who was there: could you email me at ?
Thanks!
Hey, DM. It’s not just the AJC that watches your blog !
JP
Crime is getting more aggressive as times are getting more desperate even in the lowest crime part of metropolitan Atlanta, downtown Decatur. A month ago a friend was jogging in front of Carpe Deim about 8:30 at night when 4 teenagers attacked him. He got a few stiches over his eye and bruised ribs. Meanness, not robbery was the apparent motive. Three weeks later one of the kids was picked up on unrelated charges and admitted to the attack. Decatur police have about an 85% success rate in solving these types of crimes, which is much higher than the surrounding area law enforcement can boast. The crime is socio-economic and has something to do with resentment toward gentrification of this area, but it’s even more complex than that. Fellinni’s robbery was outlandish by any standard and such criminals don’t come from within downtown Decatur generally, but there is no force field keeping us from crime. There has always been crime here, just less than other places in the big city.
Please report every!!! suspicious person\activity, call 911!!! the police will respond. It is the only way to have a safe community. People that do these crimes feel it is their job, and that is the only work they want to do. The only way to help keep it under control is for every citizen to be on the look out.
I know Steve. That’s the second solicitation on this post…I deleted another one earlier. I’m still up in the air about how to handle it.
I guess the rule for now is this…if you’re a reporter looking to use DM to get contacts on a story, at a minimum you must be very clear about who you work for (the earlier solicitation did not).
And a mention of this site in your report wouldn’t hurt things either…
Here’s the response I received from Decatur PD…
“The robbery did occur but the case is still under active investigation. Inv. Karolyi was assigned the case.”