4 cars stolen at Buckhead gym after thieves steal keys from locker

ATLANTA — Thieves have targeted a Buckhead gym five times since August, stealing vehicles in an outdoor parking lot, according to Atlanta police.

Luis Ortiz told Channel 2 Action News that Wednesday he noticed someone had taken his bag with his car keys after breaking the lock on his locker inside the LA Fitness location on Peachtree Road near Lenox Road.

When he went to check on his car on the top-floor parking deck, he said someone was in his vehicle.

"At this moment is when I see one person inside my car," Ortiz said. "I see the car is (moving)."

Ortiz told police that he confronted the man inside his vehicle and the man punched him. The two continued to struggle until the man took off all his clothes and ran away naked, but without any of Ortiz's property, according to Atlanta police.

"This is happening a lot in this really good area, so I don't know what’s going on," Ortiz said.

Police say it's the fifth time thieves have targeted people at the LA Fitness location since Aug. 3. The thieves have made off with four vehicles so far, according to police. The crimes have typically been reported between 4:30 and 7 p.m.

In each case, the victims said that someone stole their car keys from their locker inside the gym.

LA Fitness has not said anything about the incidents despite a request for comment from Channel 2 Action News.

Police are now reviewing available surveillance footage from the incidents to determine a connection.

In Ortiz's case, police saw footage of a suspect leaving by entering a vehicle with another person. One suspect also left his identification in his pants that were left behind. Ortiz hopes that police can stop this trend before more victims are hurt.

"This is not just one time, or one person," he said. "It's teamwork."

Cox Media Group