Brazen burglary attempt of Athens boutique foiled

By Joe Johnson

A group of masked burglars last week were foiled in their attempt to yank off the door of a store in downtown Athens.

They had hooked a chain attached to a car to the front door of Agora Vintage on East Broad Street but literally dropped what they were doing when a University of Georgia police car drove by.

The masked and hooded males jumped into their car and sped away as the police officer turned around and activated the cruiser’s emergency lights.

The car was later found abandoned and determined by police to have been stolen.

Although foiled in their burglary attempt, the suspects caused about $500 in damages by breaking the door glass and splintering wood around the lock.

Agora Vintage specializes in vintage designer clothing and accessories, such as Chanel and Fendi purses selling for thousands of dollars.

More than $16,000 in merchandise was stolen from the shop in a 2021 smash-and-grab burglary.