Smash-and-grab thieves hit Sweet Auburn market

ATLANTA — Crews are making repairs at the Sweet Auburn Curb Market in southeast Atlanta after police said thieves slammed a minivan into the store and drove off with an ATM.

Police said the theft happened early Tuesday morning at the longtime business on Edgewood Avenue. The market is currently home to a variety of independent vendors and restaurants.

Police said the minivan was left inside the store and the thieves took off in another vehicle.

Channel 2 Action News crews have been at the scene since this morning.

Surveillance video of the burglary shows men casing the market about 5 a.m. About 10 minutes later, a stolen white Dodge caravan busts in the market.

Police said the thieves were after an ATM that was bolted down.

They used the van to ram the ATM several times, before dragging it away to a red Dodge Dakota. The incident took all of about three minutes, security officers said.

"Obviously it's been cased out. Obviously they knew the ATM was there and they saw an opportunity and they took it. They weren't professionals due to all the damage, but they were effective," said security officer Gerald Boyd.

The market is back open and operating as normal.  Channel 2's Sophia Choi saw crews fixing the broken doors, which is a big job because the doors were specially made for the market that underwent renovations last year.

There's red tape around the area where the ATM used to stand. The market manager said there are no plans to replace the ATM, but plans for more security are definitely in the works.

Homeland Security is now blowing up the surveillance video in hopes of getting a license plate number on that getaway vehicle.

This is just one of several recent smash-and-grab burglaries near Edgewood Avenue in the old Fourth Ward.

Police are coordinating strategies to combat the string of crimes in the area. Choi will have details on Channel 2 Action News starting at 4.

WSBTV