Woman loses birth certificate, tax documents in Buckhead hotel burglary

ATLANTA - A string of burglaries at one Buckhead hotel has raised questions about how thieves managed to steal thousands of dollars worth of items from guests staying on the property.

One of the victims told FOX 5 reporter Joi Dukes she was in town to get her taxes done and visit family and friends. She said she never expected her stay at the Courtyard Marriott to end with her personal belongings stolen and her sensitive information compromised.

"I’ve traveled a lot, and I’ve never had a situation like this in my life," said Katia Jones. 

Jones told FOX 5 she had only left her room for a few hours on the evening of March 2 when she came back to find it ransacked.

She took photos after realizing her purse, jewelry, shoes, laptop and tax documents had all been taken.

"My birth certificates, my socials, everything," she said. "My W2s."

A police report showed Jones wasn’t the only one. A guest staying across the hall also reported being a victim of theft that night.

Atlanta police opened investigations into two similar incidents at the property in the past. A man reported his headphones, a company WiFi box and reading glasses stolen in March 2023. Another guest reported having $20,000 worth of jewelry, including a Rolex and $3,600 in cash stolen in August 2023.

There was no sign of forced entry into the rooms reported during those incidents.

"I feel very uneasy, even in my home now, because my documents had my name on it," Jones explained.

Jones said she was told by hotel management that it appeared she had left her door open. She disputed that claim.

"The only way to get in that room is with a key, and someone went in that room and took my stuff," she said.

Her story has since gone viral on TikTok, where she said other users contacted her to share similar stories.

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"When I saw that, I was like, ‘Something’s going on. Something’s very fishy, and we’ve got to get to the bottom of it,’" she said.

Jones told FOX 5 she was reimbursed for her hotel stay, but she is still seeking damages for what she lost and has retained an attorney.

"Someone has to be responsible for this, and I most certainly should not be responsible for this because I did not leave the door open," she said.

 Jones said she wants charges filed against the person or people who took her things.

FOX 5 Atlanta reached out to the hotel staff multiple times for comment on Jones' case and whether there are any plans to increase security. So far, we have not heard back.