Midtown Crime and Fire News Roundup

A man was reportedly robbed of his MacBook early Wednesday morning in Midtown by three men, one who was armed with a handgun, according to Atlanta Police spokesman Curtis Davenport.

The incident occurred around 1:45 a.m. when the victim was surprised by the three men as he was sitting on an air conditioning unit behind his Merritts Avenue apartment. When the victim looked up, one of the suspects was holding a silver revolver handgun and asked him where he lived and who was home. 

According to Davenport, the victim advised that his parents were inside and the suspect then demanded his computer and whatever he had on his possession.  The man gave the suspect his laptop, but as he started fumbling to take off his bracelet, the suspect's phone went off. 

The suspect answered the cell phone and then the three men fled in the location toward Pine Street with just the laptop. Officers from both the Atlanta and Georgia Tech police departments canvassed the area but did not locate the suspects.

The victim described the man who took his MacBook as a black male in his 20s, standing approximately 5-foot-8 and weighing between 110 and 120 pounds.

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An unknown number but certainly vocal group of Occupy Atlanta protesters participated in a Tuesday evening march down Peachtree Street to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta in Midtown that resulted in one arrest according to the APD.

A 21-year-old Hispanic male, who was charged with wearing a mask to conceal his identity, was also wanted in Cobb County for a probation violation for second degree vehicular homicide charge.

According to this Facebook page, the march was “to demand a moratorium on foreclosures and an end to Fed policy that serves private interests at the expense of the 99%.”

The Facebook page reported there were two arrests. A Wednesday morning email to what was believed to be Occupy Atlanta legal representative for more information about the march was not returned.

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A home at 945 Piedmont Ave. in Midtown caught fire before the Wednesday morning rush hour. The home owner was not at the residence at the time of the small blaze that did not affect other homes in the area.

Piedmont between 8th and 10th streets was briefly closed while firefighters extinguished the blaze. No one was injured and the Atlanta Fire Department is investigating how the fire started.

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Fire investigators also say that it could take a few weeks to determine the cause of the massive fire at Doors Unlimited, Inc., in the Loring Heights neighborhood Monday afternoon.

Because the buildings affected are unstable and could collapse at any time, AFD investigators have been unable to get inside.

The business, which sells and installs garage doors and has been in operation since 1951, was closed for the day when the fire broke out. It is located at 432 Trabert Avenue near 17th Street and Atlantic Station.