Laptop snatchers targeting coffee shops turn violent
ATLANTA - The latest ordeal surrounding a thief snatching a laptop from a local coffee shop turned violent, as Atlanta Police said the robbers drove at a victim trying to get his things back.
"I could have been killed for a laptop," the victim tells FOX 5, who is still recovering from his injuries.
The ordeal happened Tuesday evening around 7:30 at the Starbucks coffeeshop in the 2900 block of Peachtree Road NW. Police said after the suspect walked in and snatched the customer's laptop, the victim ran after him; the suspect jumped into a getaway vehicle.
"I stood in front of them without thinking. They tried to run me over. I held onto the hood," the victim said, and was thrown off as the suspects drove onto Peachtree Road.
Police were unable to catch the suspects driving away in a white Honda Fit. The male who grabbed the laptop is described as a man in his late teens to early twenties, 5'4", orange-blonde dreadlocks in a mohawk, green pants and a black jacket.
In December, at a nearby Starbucks off Piedmont Avenue, a mile away from this most recent ordeal, a victim tells FOX 5 he was kicked in the face by a robber while trying to grab his laptop back.
Officers always advise victims of snatch thefts to never try to run after a suspect to grab their things back.
Police also have the following advice:
- Pick a seat furthest from the exit.
- Pick a seat facing the door.
- Download tracking software.
Different companies also offer laptop locks to tether a laptop to a desk or chair.