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From Virginia Highland to Midtown, dozens of Atlanta residents wake up to find their car windows smashed

In Virginia Highland 11Alive found smashed car windows and broken glass on at least seven different streets.

ATLANTA — The damage stretches from Virginia Highland to Midtown Atlanta. Residents in both neighborhoods woke up Monday morning to find their car windows smashed, belongings in their cars tossed around and broken glass on the ground.

Virginia Highland residents told 11Alive they estimated at least 60 cars were broken into. APD on Monday only confirmed several cars had been damaged. 

Driving through the neighborhood, 11Alive counted dozens of cars with broken windows and glass still nearby on the road. Atlanta Police confirmed they're investigating after receiving reports of damage to cars in both neighborhoods, which are separated by approximately two miles. 

APD hasn't released any information connecting the car break-ins in the two neighborhoods, but residents 11Alive talked with are assuming the same group is behind the crimes in both places.

"This is what we came out to," Miles Adams said, while pointing to his broken car window outside of his Virginia Avenue condo building. "At first, we got an e-mail that every car had been hit on the street."

Adams said his neighbor's two security cameras captured the break-ins and his neighbor e-mailed their condo building a short time later to notify residents about the crime. The video shows that the break-ins happened on Virginia Ave. minutes before 4:20 a.m.

In the security video from along Virginia Ave., a blue car pulled up and at least three people jumped out. Two were wearing dark clothing, the third was wearing a white jacket or sweatshirt. 

The trio could be seen each breaking into a different car at the same time before they moved down the street and broke into more cars. 

"You watch the body language of the individuals and they aren't in a rush, they aren't very intimidated," Adams said.

Driving around Virginia Highland, 11Alive found cars were hit on at least seven streets including Rosedale Drive, Hudson Drive, Briarcliff Court, Todd Road, St. Louis Place, Virginia Circle and Virginia Avenue. 

Adams said this is the fourth incident where his car window has been broken and in this latest incident his fiancé had two windows broken on her car. 

"Gotten to the point where just empty it out, maybe even leave up a sign that says, 'come on in, please don't break the windows, nothing is in here'," Adams said.

He received repair estimates Monday and expects he will need to pay $200 - $300 per window. 

After the break-ins in Virginia Highland, Atlanta Police responded to Myrtle Street in Midtown and found a similar crime scene. More cars with broken windows. 

11Alive was on Myrtle Street when Mystic Hightower walked out of her home to find a police report had been left on her windshield and noticed her driver side window had been smashed. She said nothing was stolen.

"I just want to know like what this is about and why they're doing it. It seems pretty indiscriminate," Hightower said. "Nothing is even taken from my car. It seems like people are just breaking things just to break things."

In Virginia Highland and Midtown, victims 11Alive talked with said they don't leave valuables in their cars and didn't have much if anything to report as stolen. Several said they leave their cars unlocked, but their car windows were still smashed. 

   

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