4 Juveniles Arrested in Decatur Square Phone Theft

Decatur/Avondale Estates Patch has obtained the Decatur police report about the robbery reported Sunday night on the Decatur Court Square.

Four juvenile males were arrested and taken into custody after one of them grabbed an iPhone that was lying on a table in front of the Brick Store Pub. Though the incident didn't involve a weapon, it's classified as a robbery.

Here's what the police report said.

A woman was sitting at a table in front of the Brick Store about 10:20 p.m. Sunday when a juvenile grabbed her iPhone 4 in a pink case off the table.

He and three companions ran toward the Decatur Marta Station on Church Street. The woman and two male diners chased the four into the Marta tunnel. Somebody called 911.

One of the pursuing men shoved a fleeing suspect to the ground and tried to hold him down until police arrived. The suspect hit the man on the chin and one of the other suspects said, "I'm going to throw you on the tracks." The man let the suspect go.

Several police officers arrived and arrested thee suspects. The suspect who actually took the phone had to be chased down on foot.  The stolen phone was found in his pocket.

While officers interviewed witnesses outside the Marta tunnel, a young man walked up to the area and sat on a bench. He was identified as the suspect who struggled with the man who gave chase. He was also taken into custody.

Police contacted the parents or guardians of two of the four suspects. All four were taken to the Regional Youth Detention Center and will be charged with robbery.

This is the seventh robbery reported by Decatur police since Feb. 6. In most of the cases, the suspects demanded the victims' cell phones.

Here are the other incidents:

• March 31 at Wahoo! Grill on West College Avenue.

• March 20 at the East Lake Marta Station.

• March 15 in the 900 block of Commerce Drive.

• March 13 in the 100 block of Church Street.

• Feb. 26 at the Wells Fargo ATM drive-thru at 315 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.

• Feb. 7 at Ponce de Leon Place and Montgomery Street.