Auto Thefts Jump in Zone 5

Atlanta police say auto thefts are on the rise in Zone 5, which covers neighborhoods including Midtown, Home Park, West Midtown, Ansley Park and Atlantic Station.

“Right now, we have been seeing an uptick in auto thefts ... which is kind of unusual,” Zone 5’s Lt. Tom Padgett said last week at a community meeting in Midtown.

This year, there have been 516 auto thefts in Zone 5, according to the latest crime stats (dated Aug. 20) from the Atlanta Police Department. That’s about a 10 percent increase from the same period of time in 2010.

Padgett said it's a trend police are seeing across the city, state and nation.

"Georgia's got some pretty antiquated laws that we are looking to change," he said.

Padgett said under current laws thieves can easily sell stolen vehicles for scrap metal that are 10 years or older. All they have to do is hook the car up to a wrecker, head to the salvage yard and sign a bill of sale.

"They'll have that car crushed within 3 hours before you even report its stolen," he said. "We've got to change those laws."

The latest auto theft in Midtown occurred Thursday morning, according to news reports. 

Two teenagers allegedly stole a white Jeep Cherokee from a parking lot at 10th Street and Crescent Avenue in Midtown, according to WSB-TV.

A witness spotted the teens breaking into the vehicle and alerted police. The suspects, aged 13 and 15, led police on a chase and later crashed the vehicle in northwest Atlanta. The teens were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.

Police told the AJC that the teens are suspected of breaking into 10 or more cars overnight in Midtown. Officers said other vehicles were vandalized at 999 Peachtree Street.

Here are other recent auto thefts around Midtown (incidents from Aug. 1 to Aug. 20), according to the latest crime data from the Atlanta Police Department:

Aug. 2 - 1094 Hemphill Avenue NW

Aug. 2 - 1389 Peachtree Street 

Aug. 2 - 163 Ponce de Leon Avenue

Aug. 2 - 75 Ponce de Leon Avenue

Aug. 4 - 42 12th Street NW

Aug. 4 - 950 Marietta Street NW

Aug. 4 - 910 Myrtle Street NE

Aug. 8 - 970 Spring Street NW

Aug. 9 - 840 Marietta Street NW

Aug. 14 - 732 Edgehill Avenue NW

Aug. 15 - 660 11th Street NW

Aug. 15 - 685 Argonne Avenue NE

Aug. 15 - 1200 14th Place

Aug. 16 - 950 Marietta Street NW

Aug. 18 - 645 State Street 

Aug. 18 - 811 Monroe Drive

Aug. 19 - 1030 Marietta Street NW

Aug. 19 - 989 Spring Street NW