BUCKHEAD, Ga. — A string of home invasions in the last week has many homeowners across the metro Atlanta area on edge.
Three home invasions in Buckhead and Sandy Springs have homeowners thinking it could happen in any neighborhood.
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A Buckhead homeowner whose house was broken into told Channel 2′s Michael Seiden he was able to stop the robbers in their tracks.
“I was sound asleep and I heard some kind of loud noise crashing. That sort of thing, then rolled over in bed and just ignored it and then I heard at least two more crashes and noises. And knew something was up. So I got up and went out of our bedroom,” he said.
The homeowner spoke with Channel 2 Action News on the condition he could remain anonymous. He showed Seiden the damage left behind by three intruders in dark hoodies who broke in while he and his wife were sleeping early Sunday morning.
“I saw someone in the dark with a flashlight...I yelled at them,” he recalled.
The trio then ran from the home where the getaway driver was waiting.
“Frankly don’t even know what they were looking for. They passed up a TV that was sitting on the floor,” he said.
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Atlanta police are still working to learn who those intruders were, but some say it could be the same group that hit two homes over the weekend in Sandy Springs.
Five home invasion suspects arrested after chase in Dooley County last week have already been linked to one of the home invasions, police say. They are investigating whether the same suspects are responsible for the other two.
One of those homes was 11,000 square feet with a gate and nine surveillance cameras. Even that didn’t stop the group from holding a woman and her 16-year-old daughter at gunpoint as they went through the house, stealing valuables and two cars.
Over the last year, Channel 2 Action News has reported on home invasions across the area. The biggest takeaway is that it can happen anytime, anywhere.
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Safehome.org, a review website created by home security experts, lists ways you can deter criminals from coming into your home, including:
- Leave a light on inside to avoid an empty appearance
- Valuables like a nice car should not be visible from outside the house
- Consider a home security system
The Buckhead homeowner told Seiden he’s glad no one was hurt and is planning to up his security to protect himself and his family.
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