Decatur Police Look Into Burglaries

This information comes from Decatur Police Department reports.

Video clues. Police are using video to search for a suspect who stole a safe Feb. 5 from a home in the 700 block of Clairemont Avenue. The resident came home about 2:20 p.m., discovered her rear kitchen door forced open and called police. A friend of the resident helped police find footage on security cameras that showed a man breaking into the house and removing the safe. He was identified as a former employee of the resident who was fired for stealing.

Restaurant burglary. Las Brasas at 310 E. Howard Ave. was broken into during the early morning hours Feb. 10. Entry was made through a side window. The cash register was lying on the floor with dollar bills and loose change scattered about.         

School broken into. On Jan. 27, an alarm sounded about 8:40 p.m. at Renfroe Middle School. Officers found a broken window on a door that led to the old gym. An inner door was pried open. It appeared nothing was missing.

Pinewood Drive residence entered. A residence in the 600 block of Pinewood Drive was broke into Jan. 28, apparently through a carport window. The homeowner looked through the house and said a class ring and a wallet holding $180 were missing. A safe was not broken into but was damaged around the locking mechanism.

Sniffing around. The DeKalb County K-9 Unit helped Decatur police search a house in the 500 block of Glendale Avenue Jan. 28. Decatur officers went to the house after an alarm sounded about 12:30 a.m. and were unable to determine if a suspect was inside. After the K-9 Unit found nobody inside, the homeowner looked around and said it didn't look like anything was missing. Officers noticed a window in the rear of the house had been broken.

Money taken from car. About $140 in cash and some Social Security cards were reported stolen Jan. 28 from a car parked in a garage in the 200 block of Knob Hills Circle. The 2008 Chevrolet Equinox was unlocked and the garage door had been left open. A Visa credit card stolen from the car was later used at the Decatur Marta station.

Two stolen car reports. A women who lives in the 400 block of Clairemont Avenue reported Feb. 1 that her Honda Pilot was missing. She said the only other person with a key is her husband, who doesn't live with her anymore. He could not be reached. A resident of the 200 block of Upland Drive reported Jan. 16 that his 1987 Volvo had been stolen.