In the summer of 2015, a young man's life was tragically cut short in what should have been the safety of his own home. In the early morning hours of July 6th, the life of 24-year-old Omar Moore was irrevocably altered. Residing at the Ashgrove Apartments on Hambrick Road in Stone Mountain, Georgia, the young father found himself in a fight for his life. Two individuals forced their way into his apartment with the intent to rob him. The encounter turned violent, and Omar was shot.
Despite his serious injuries, he was able to communicate with the responding DeKalb County police officers, informing them that two men had entered his home, shot him, and fled. His girlfriend and children were present in the apartment at the time of the home invasion. Omar was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation that followed led to the apprehension of two suspects. DeKalb County police arrested 18-year-old Tilford Baynham and an unnamed 15-year-old accomplice. Both teenagers were charged with murder and armed robbery in connection with the fatal shooting of Omar Moore. The arrests brought a measure of resolution to a community shaken by the violent intrusion and the loss of a young life in the presence of his family.
A little over two years later, another senseless act of violence took place in Stone Mountain, claiming the life of another man in his home. On a Monday morning in September 2017, 48-year-old Theodore Moore returned to his house on Ridge Forest Drive after walking his dog, only to be confronted by two men who were in the process of burglarizing his residence. The intruders had already subdued his husband, tying him up and placing him in a closet. Upon his return, Theodore was shot and killed by the burglars. The assailants then spent a considerable amount of time, reportedly over an hour, ransacking the home. They stole several televisions and fled the scene in Theodore's car. The victim's husband was eventually able to free himself and call for help. The stolen vehicle was later recovered on a nearby street.
The investigation into Theodore Moore's murder led to the arrest of one suspect the following month. Abdul Hikeem Crawford, 25 years old at the time, was located and apprehended in North Carolina. He was charged in connection with the home invasion and murder. Police indicated that they were still working to identify and locate the second individual involved in the crime. The community mourned the loss of Theodore, who was remembered by neighbors as a kind and generous man. The tragedy was compounded by the fact that he and his husband had only been married for two months prior to the fatal home invasion. The incident had been preceded by an attempted break-in at their home just weeks earlier, which had prompted the couple to install the very surveillance cameras that would later capture images of the alleged killers.
