Fayetteville Crime Reports Raise Security Concerns

Police reports citing the theft of cars from a Walmart parking lot in Fayetteville on two consecutive days remind us that crime can occur anywhere and that owners of public places, especially, have a duty to keep their premises safe.

Fayetteville police say two men who remain at-large stole vehicles from the same parking lot in the Fayette Pavilion on January 12 and 13, according to news reports.

The first day, the suspects drove a dark-colored, possibly green, Ford Explorer around the parking lot before one man got out and entered the store. The man left the store, reports say, and took a 1992 GMC Sierra truck.

The next day, the same suspects apparently cruised the parking lot before one man got out of the SUV and stole a 1989 Chevrolet Caprice.

No one was reported hurt in these incidents, and there are no allegations against the Fayette Pavilion Walmart, nor is it our intention to fault the store or its owners in any way. Rather, the incidents serve as a reminder that a property owner can be held responsible for negligent security in the state of Georgia. A party may be found liable for failing to fulfill the obligation to take reasonable measures to provide security and someone was injured because of this negligence. The question of the property owner’s liability would involve such factors as knowledge of any patterns of crime in the area.

Unfortunately, it is often found that an assault, rape, kidnapping, robbery, mugging, shooting or murder occurred because of a lapse in security, including problems regarding the employment or effectiveness of security officers.

The crime victim lawyers at Millar &Mixon, LLC, represent the victims of violence perpetrated in negligent security cases throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area and the state of Georgia, including in Fayetteville.

Victims of violent crimes that occurred at a business, hospital, school, convention center, hotel, motel or apartment have legitimate questions as to whether the owner or operator of the property failed to fulfill its duty to provide reasonable security measures. If there is a case of security negligence, the crime victim or the victim’s loved ones have a right to compensation for such expenses as medical bills, rehabilitation costs, funeral costs and lost wages, as well as for disfigurement, disability, pain and suffering, or emotional distress.

But such a finding may require an examination of the case by a team of legal professionals like Millar and Mixon’s attorneys. We work with an extensive network of security experts who know how to determine and prove the extent of a negligent party’s wrongful lapses.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a violent crime that may have been caused by negligent security, contact our crime victim attorneys today for a free case evaluation by calling 404-994-7724 or contacting us online.

If you have any information regarding either car theft incident at the Fayette Pavilion Walmart in Fayetteville last week, we encourage you to contact Det. Todd Chitwood at 770-719-4224.