Three people are facing a 41-count indictment in connection with a Buckhead crime spree. However, the charges bring another problem into the spotlight - repeat offenders.
Fulton County District Attorney Paul L. Howard, Jr. said 26-year-old Jaquantay Campbell, 17-year-old Michael Hill, and 27-year-old Dundrea Phillips have all been charged.
Howard said in January, Atlanta Police received complaints from residents about auto crimes. In all, eight vehicles were stolen, seven burglaries occurred, and there were nine entering automobile crimes reported in Zone 2 between Jan. 15 and Jan. 30, according to the district attorney's office.
In one of the cases, Howard said a homeowner was assaulted by one of the suspects as she tried to stop a suspect from stealing her vehicle.
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Hill and Campbell were arrested Jan. 30 after the last string of crimes. Officers said in the early morning hours they were called to Moores Mill Road and Northside Parkway about three suspects who burglarized several garages.
The suspects allegedly approached five homes and broke into vehicles parked inside and outside of garages. They also broke garage windows to get to vehicles, according to APD. Police said four vehicles were stolen on that morning.
They were able to track the suspects to a location in East Point and they worked with officers there to arrest Hill and Campbell.
Phillips, who police said is Campbell's girlfriend, was arrested in February
Buckhead crime stories have been a hot topic for months. Some residents told 11Alive they don't feel safe in their own neighborhood.
The 11Alive Investigations Team found out that the Buckhead area has had several beat redesigns since 2000 and Zone 2 - which covers the neighborhood - is significantly larger now than it was 18 years ago. According to the Buckhead Coalition, Buckhead's population increased by nearly 30 percent from 2000 to 2016.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms held the first of three town hall meetings in February. She was joined by APD Chief Erika Shields, along with nearly every department head. They addressed some of the concerns' of residents.
The police chief admitted she is embarrassed by the recent uptick in violent crime in Buckhead.
"We struggled last year, with crime being up double digits. It was sickening," Shields said. "We have thrust every imaginable resource up here. It has made a difference."
However, Shields said the first two months of 2019 saw a drop in the crime rate by about 5 percent.
Weeks before that meeting, Deputy Chief Jeff Glazier, who is over field operations, discussed the issue of repeat offenders in a news conference. He said the court system should not be so lenient with suspects.
Now the topic of repeat offenders has come up again regarding this case.
An APD Zone 2 Commander sent an email to some community members updating them about the Buckhead crime spree. APD said Hill was linked to another crime that happened before the Jan. 30 incident. But before investigators could secure warrants for the additional case, he had been released from jail on a signature bond.
"Our investigator obtained warrants for the Pineland Rd and Roswell Rd cases and when they were in the process of getting the warrants over to the jail learned Hill was released earlier in the day," the email said.
"This is a perfect example of what is broken in Fulton County. Hopefully, unified voices demanding answers for things like this will eventually make a difference," the email continued. "Our officers continue to make great arrests of criminals terrorizing Atlanta neighborhoods repeatedly and this is the result. They don’t fear being arrested in Fulton County the way they do in other jurisdictions and this need [sic] to change."
According to Howard, Campbell is a convicted felon who was on probation at the time of his arrest and was in possession of a stolen gun.
As for the indictment, Howard said the suspects face the following charges:
- conspiracy to commit a felony
- burglary - 1st degree
- theft by taking
- theft by receiving stolen property
- aggravated assault
- financial transaction card theft
- entering automobile
- obstruction of law enforcement officer
- giving false information to law enforcement officer
- possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
The defendants caused more than $125,000 in property damage, according to the district attorney's office. One of the eight stolen vehicles still has not been recovered.
APD has promised to increase patrols in the area and they recently changed up the department's beat map - hoping to cut down on response times. Meanwhile, the district attorney's office, also feeling pressure from residents, has vowed to fight to keep suspects locked up for longer.
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