ATLANTA — Though officials report that Atlanta crime rates have decreased, to someone who was beaten and robbed, those numbers can be meaningless.
Atlanta Police Department released a photo on Thursday, hoping that someone can help locate a man who allegedly severely beat a store clerk for cash last weekend. The incident scared the community; for members, the small store on Joseph E. Boone Boulevard in northwest Atlanta serves as a place of comfort and escape.
Mohammad Nabi and his co-workers want everyone to see what happened at the store to one of the clerks, Lukman Sahid, early Sunday morning, November 5. A robber “actually beat (Sahid) so bad, he was laying down here” nearly unconscious, Nabi said Thursday.
The suspect who beat Sahid was demanding a key to get cash from an electronic slot machine; he then broke into the store’s cash register and stole what he could grab. Sahid’s left eye was swollen shut, and he was left with intense headaches along with bruised ribs from the beating.
But he was able to call 911.
Security footage from that night showed a brief clip of the suspect, and police released screenshots of that to the public, asking everyone to see if they've seen him.
And Nabi said this isn't the only unsolved crime at the store. Recently, he said that two men with masks on came and robbed the slot machines using a big hammer.
"They came here with a big hammer," Nabi said. "Break the machine, take the money from the machine, you know? So this kind of thing happens, but especially at nighttime."
11Alive checked Atlanta police records, and while crime rates overall in this area are down to date in 2023 compared with the same period in 2022, criminals just started targeting this particular store this year.
And customers have taken notice.
"When I come over here, I do be careful,” Grace Butler, a customer playing one of the slot games Thursday, said. “I try my best to be careful."
Lukman Sahid is recovering at home with his family. At the same time, customers and employees hope the video of the suspect will help police catch the man who invaded their small oasis on Joseph E. Boone Boulevard.
Atlanta Police said Thursday, “Anyone with information on the case can submit a tip anonymously to the Crime Stoppers Atlanta tip line at 404-577-TIPS (8477), or online at www.StopCrimeAtl.org. Persons 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 suspect.”