ATLANTA — Residents in East Point say Atlanta public school kids who attend Forrest Hills Academy are causing problems in their city. Abigail Montano gave Channel 2's Liz Artz a picture of her 15-year-old son days after he was jumped by six kids while walking home from school. "He had two black eyes, marks on his neck, scratches, everything on the face," said Montano. She said the boys demanded her son's cell phone, but he doesn't own one, so they took what they could get. "He had four dollars in his pocket. Yeah, that's what they took from him," said Montano East Point police say the kids who jumped Montano's son are students at Forrest Hills Academy, an Atlanta public alternative school. Police say the 15-year-old is just one victim in a string of several recent incidents. One man was attacked by a group of kids while leaving the East Point MARTA station. The Atlanta Public School District acknowledged the problem and said that the district is involved with truancy sweeps with local law enforcement. Residents said the problem grew after APS stopped busing the students to Forrest Hills. Now, the teens take MARTA. Residents say instead of going to school, the teens terrorize the neighborhood. "This is dangerous. Luckily it wasn't worse, but it could have been much worse," said Montano. MARTA police released a statement that said 95 Forrest Hills Academy students were picked up for truancy this month alone. Police say 30 truant students were picked up Thursday alone and taken to school where they were disciplined. MARTA police say they are continuing to work with East Point police, Atlanta police and Atlanta Public Schools to get the kids in class and to keep residents safe.
WSBTV
