Dunwoody police arrest man suspected in burglaries, robberies

A Woodstock man’s decision to break into lockers at a church gym caught the attention of off-duty officers who were working out there and who arrested him, Dunwoody police said.

Victim Nathan Bryan told Channel 2’s Mike Petchenik that he went for a swim July 19 at Dunwoody Baptist Church’s fitness center on Mount Vernon Road, and when he finished, he realized that his car keys were missing.

“(The thief) knew what he was doing,” said Bryan. “They were kind of hidden.”

Police told Petchenik that the thief, identified as Robert Walter, also stole a cellphone from another gym patron’s bag, and officers used the “Find my iPhone” app to track the 39-year-old Walter to a Sandy Springs Home Depot store.

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“He’s got eight felony counts just in Dunwoody alone,” said Sgt. Aaron Belt. “Those would include burglary, robbery by sudden snatching, obstruction of law enforcement, possession of heroin, just to name a few.”

Belt said police in several cities had been searching for Walter after a string of crimes that included an attack on a woman in her driveway in June.

“He actually went inside the woman’s home,” said Belt.“He stole her purse, and when she confronted him the driveway and he attempted to flee, she was dragged by his vehicle for several feet down his driveway.”

Belt said Walter snatched a woman’s purse a few weeks later at an Ashford-Dunwoody Walmart store.

“This was one guy we wanted to get off the street and get off the street quickly because he was escalating,” said Belt.

Bryan told Petchenik that he got his keys back and was thankful for the police officers’ quick work.

“It’s a great place, Dunwoody Baptist, so it’s a shame someone would commit a crime there,” he said. “I’m glad they got him.”