Date night ends in parking garage brawl for couple who catch suspected thief

ATLANTA — A Buckhead man told Channel 2 Action News he was forced to fight, trying to stop a suspected thief from breaking into his girlfriend's SUV.

The fight happened inside the parking deck of Post Alexander, a luxury high rise on Phipps Boulevard. The couple, who wanted to remain unidentified, moved to the building three years ago because they thought they would be safe.

The couple told Channel 2's Michael Seiden they pay twice as much as other tenants to park in a secured parking deck. But July 12, they were getting ready to go on a date night when all of a sudden, they were forced to defend themselves against a suspected thief.

“We noticed a guy walking from my car,” the woman said. “The arm rest was open. The guy said, ‘I didn’t take anything.'"

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The couple said the suspect attempted to run.

“He was pushing, trying to throw punches, but I was up on him. I was wrestling him to the ground, trying to restrain him,” the man said. “He stuck his finger in my eye several times."

The suspected thief eventually escaped, leaving one of the victims with what his attorneys are calling a "serious eye injury."

“My clothes were all ripped up, blood everywhere. It was crazy,” the man said.

The couple is now preparing to file a lawsuit against the management company for negligence.

“You can’t foresee and prevent every single crime, but when you know about it, you have to take appropriate steps and they’re not doing that,” Attorney Emanuel Dressie said.

On Monday, Seiden reached out to Mid-America Apartment Communities for comment, but they have not responded to his requests.

Channel 2 Action News is also hearing complaints from several other tenants. In fact, one sent a photo of a broken gate in front of a parking garage. The tenant also said that there are very few cameras in and around the parking garages.

Cox Media Group