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60 burglaries reported in East Lake Terrace community

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Updated  February 23, 2023 7:55am EST
East Lake
FOX 5 Atlanta

Burglars target neighborhood dozens of times

Residents in East Lake say burglars have targeted their homes five dozen times in less than a year.

ATLANTA - Residents of the East Lake Terrace neighborhood say burglaries have become a big problem with dozens of break-ins reported in recent months.

"I know three neighbors that have been broken into three times each…the items that are usually taken are electronics…the entries are often a window that’s not set right," said resident Chris Durham-Henderson.

He told FOX 5 it’s a problem neither Atlanta nor DeKalb County police have been able to solve with a combined total of 60 reports filed since August 2022, all of which are still active investigations.

"Very frustrating…to the point that some people have sold or moved…they don’t feel there’s enough action from the police not in just patrolling but in solving the crimes that are already there as well," Durham-Henderson explained.

In an exclusive interview with FOX 5’s Joi Dukes, DeKalb County Police Chief Mirtha Ramos said she understands their frustration.

"It’s frustrating anytime you’re a victim of a crime, and you’re not getting the information that you think you need," she said. "We do want to get to the bottom of this…we don’t want anyone living in fear in DeKalb County."

Though Ramos said her investigators have canvassed the neighborhood, spoken with residents and increased patrols in the area, no arrests have been made. She said that’s because burglaries are some of the toughest cases to crack.

"The national clearance rate is about 13 percent and while we are at 23 percent, we still think that number is too low."

(DeKalb County Police Department)

On Wednesday, the department shared photos of a man investigators believe to be a possible suspect in some of the cases. They are asking for the public’s help in identifying him.

"There’s been some behavior that connects that person to some of the burglaries, and we just want to see if we can solidify a case," Ramos told FOX 5.

While the police chief said it will take a collaborative effort between community members and police, residents can help investigators by locking their doors and windows, installing security cameras and keeping a record of serial numbers on their electronic devices.