Suspect Arrested for Incidents at Ali’s Cookies
William Kay was arrested by DeKalb County police for criminal trespass and damage to Ali’s Cookies at Emory Village.
William Kay has been arrested by DeKalb County police for criminal trespass and damage to Ali’s Cookies at Emory Village in Decatur.
According to the DeKalb County police report, paint was splattered onto the rear wall on the outside of the business on April 13. A private property sign was also defaced with graffiti. Footage from a video camera recorded green paint being thrown on the business and at the camera by a man wearing a hoodie when he discovered he was being recorded.
Four days later, on April 17, Kay came back into the cookie store and ordered an ice cream. He refused to pay, and began harassing employees and other customers, according to owner Sagi Shablis. Among his rants, Kay said, “They’re murdering children.” stated Shablis, who recognized him from the video footage recorded days earlier. DeKalb County police were immediately called to the scene.
Sagi and Nofar Shablis, Ali’s Cookies’ owners who are originally from Israel, stated that the police took 28 minutes to arrive, although the dispatcher continued to tell them police were “almost there” and would arrive momentarily. Sagi told the dispatcher that the same person who had thrown paint on the building and was seen on the video camera was back at the store. He was concerned about the safety of his employees and customers, and afraid someone could get hurt before officers arrived.
Lt. Shane Smith with the DeKalb County Police Department replied in a written statement that the response time was not typical and that arrivals can vary based on different factors, including time of day and other calls that are pending.
According to Sagi, police initially resisted arresting Kay and suggested issuing a written warning to him. Shablis persisted, showing them the video footage from the paint incident a few days earlier. Sagi stated that the officers on the scene stated, “It’s not my case.”
After receiving a phone call from someone else at the DeKalb Police Department, the officers arrested Kay.
The Shablises have been concerned about many incidents of antisemitism and threats directed at their business since the Oct. 7 violence in Israel. Their hope is for greater support from DeKalb police. They indicated they feel like they have been kept in the dark about the incidents — past and present — that have been reported on an ongoing basis. To date, they have not heard from anyone at the DeKalb County Police Department to update them on the status of this case.
When brought to his attention, Lt. Smith shared, “Once the arrest is made, the investigation is turned over to the Solicitor’s Office for prosecution. If they want to stay in the loop as far as his case is concerned, they would need to contact the victim advocate with the Solicitor’s Office. They should be able to assist.”
The couple continues to be inspired by the support they have received from people throughout Atlanta and the country.
“We so appreciate the community support. It warms our hearts, and words cannot begin to express our appreciation,” said Nofar. “But our greatest hope is that what is happening in Israel will be over soon,” she emphasized.
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