Community Needs Your Help: Best Of Stories From 2017

PAULDING COUNTY, GA — Police in Paulding County stepped up to solve crimes and respond to concerns in their communities in ways big and small in 2017. Sometimes, however, they needed the public's help. Patch was there to chronicle some of the above-and-beyond steps the police took this year and published these stories to ask for some community assistance.

Family Left Homeless By Fire Needs Your Help

A house fire, in August, left a local family of seven homeless, but thankful that no one was hurt in the blaze, according to a media report. The Hodges family lost all of their possessions, including school supplies for the kids, when their home burned down in less than 15 minutes, WSB-TV Channel 2 reported.
Karissa Hodges, the mother, told the TV station that she and three of her children were home when they started smelling smoke. Hodges said she also saw smoke coming from the garage. (SIGN UP: For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. Or if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

Paulding County ... Do You Recognize This Counterfeit Money Suspect?

The Paulding County Sheriff's Office and U.S. Secret Service are asking for the public's help in identifying a suspect. The man, whose image was captured by video surveillance cameras, in February, is wanted for questioning in regard to passing counterfeit bills.

Theft Suspect Wanted In Dallas

Do you recognize the person in these photos, or his vehicle? If so, you can help Paulding County law enforcement track down a suspected thief. According to the Paulding County Sheriff's Office, the person in the photo, believed to be a white male, is suspected of stealing from a property neighboring Magnolia Creste Apartments on Butler Industrial Drive in Dallas.

Paulding Sheriff Seeking Walmart Robber

The Paulding County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help identifying a man they say robbed a local Walmart store in September. The sheriff's office released photos of the man, who they say fraudulently obtained and used stolen Walmart gift cards to make purchases. One of those purchases, the sheriff's office said, was at the Walmart at 3615 Charles Hardy Pkwy. in Dallas.

Do You Know This Hit-And-Run Suspect?

Paulding County authorities are seeking help identifying a suspect in a hit-and-run crash in January.
The Paulding County Sheriff's Office says the man in the photograph was involved in the collision in the parking lot of the Walmart on Marietta Highway (GA 120) last month.

Photos courtesy Paulding County Sheriff's Office