Toco Hills, Atlanta GA – Shul Robbed at Gunpoint

Toco Hills, Atlanta GA – A community was on alert Wednesday night after an armed robbery at a DeKalb County synagogue.

Around 9:00 Monday, two men walked into the Young Israel Synagogue in the Toco Hills area of DeKalb County and robbed two people as they studied inside.

The robbery prompted area home owner’s associations and other area synagogues to send out a crime alert email.

According to the email, what happened at the synagogue is just one of four armed robberies that have happened along La Vista Road recently.

It’s supposed to be a safe haven. It’s very bad, especially at a house of God, said neighbor Dee Surrey.

From the outside, the synagogue looks like a home, but neighbors said area residents know it’s a house of worship.

They may not have realized it was a synagogue if there weren’t a lot of people at that hour, said neighbor Beverly Sawyer.

This latest incident comes just months after a rash of break-ins at area synagogues in October.

Young Israel’s former building was broken into over six times.

Authorities arrested a number of teens in those robberies.

Officials at the Intown Community Church, located across the street from the Young Israel Synagogue, said they too have dealt with robberies and have been forced to install a high-tech surveillance system. [fox5]