Midtown Ponce Security Alliance Crime Update

Editor's note: The following information was posted this week by the Midtown Ponce Security Alliance (MPSA). The MPSA has served the Midtown community since 2003 as a non-profit organization by coordinating neighborhood response to public safety and security issues in order to advance the Midtown way of life. The MPSA achieves this objective primarily by operating a neighborhood security patrol funded by its resident and business members, and community sponsors. See here for more information about becoming a member of the MPSA.

On 06-25-2012, during the 11 p.m. hour, the victim called 911 to report that he was robbed in front of 210 10th Street. The victim said that he was using his cell phone, texting, when a black male wearing black shorts with a red stripe punched him, and took his cell phone, and then ran off. Zone 5 units responded to the scene looking for the suspect, who was last seen running into Piedmont Park. The witness left the scene and walked to the Midtown MARTA station, and boarded a train.

The witness very quickly spotted the robbery suspect on the same train with the victim’s phone. He located a MARTA officer on the train, who then approached the suspect. When the trained stopped, the suspect fled the station toward Trinity Street. The suspect eluded police, but a few minutes later an APD officer spotted the suspect, and another foot chase took place until they apprehended the suspect on Walker Street. According to the police report, the capturing officers found the suspect to be in possession of the phone.

The victim and MARTA Police positively identified the suspect a short while later, and the victim further confirmed that the phone belonged to him. Atlanta Police charged Roderick Rice with Robbery and Obstruction, and transported him to the Fulton County Jail. MPSA research shows that the suspect has been arrested for felonies (including burglaries) numerous times in Fulton County alone, and yet he does not have any records at the Georgia Department of Corrections. We find it very puzzling that judges in Fulton County often do not incarcerate such chronic offenders…

Some criminals on the MPSA radar

Lee Arthur Kynard, who was arrested on April 29th as he was snooping around cars in the Park Tavern parking lot, was released from jail earlier this month. This vagrant has been effectively living inside of Piedmont Park since his release, and has been observed prowling around in the 10th & Monroe area. He will likely be a suspect in any car break-ins taking place in that area, according to our APD sources. If you see this individual (mugshot included) acting suspiciously please report him to the police immediately.

Andrew Samples, who was arrested earlier this year for dealing drugs at Ponce & Kennesaw, did not show up for a final plea hearing. He continues to appear chronically in the Ponce & Boulevard area. Once the bench warrant for failure to appear makes it into the system, he will be arrested. His status will be checked daily until he is back in jail. He is among the dope boys regularly seen loitering and sitting on those tree wells at Ponce & Kennesaw.

One of his buddies, Melvin Campbell, was arrested on 6/14 at the same location for selling cocaine. He was released two days later. Previous arrests include possession of stolen property and a firearm by convicted felon in 2011, and a warrant out of Kentucky in 2009. He often loiters and walks around in the Ponce & Boulevard area with his pants partially pulled down, a fashion statement of sorts that glorifies prison culture. We’re sure the Georgia Department of Corrections has a spot for him so we will court watch him too.

Jackie Sue Hunter is up to her old tricks again. She was arrested in Dekalb County for Theft by conversion. We imagine that her arrest in Fulton County on a warrant from Dekalb County sufficiently shows that she has no intention of complying with her banishment from nearly all of the state of Georgia as a result of a previous felony. We hope that one of the District Attorneys will pursue a probation revocation charge for her. We may be on the brink of a historic moment for Ponce de Leon Avenue, since she stands a good chance of receiving a lengthy prison sentence from Dekalb County. Such would put an end to her 40-year crime wave on Ponce (she began pursuing prostitution and other criminal activity on Ponce in the mid-1970′s). She has been on our radar since the very inception of the MPSA…