Armed Robbers Steal Hair Extensions, Flee With Child In Car: Blotter

SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- Editor’s note: the following incidents were taken from the Sandy Springs Police Department’s Weekly Wrap Up compiled by Capt. Steve Rose, which contains some — not all — of the incidents that occurred July 4-10:

Robbery

• The AT&T Store at 4600 Roswell Road reported a robbery on the 4th just after 4 p.m. Three suspects entered the store and soon pulled a gun, forcing the employees and customers on the ground. The three suspects took the store’s inventory of phones and then left. There were no injuries. The robbery was carried by media. Detectives reported some solid leads and one arrest so far on this case.
• 7716 Spalding Drive, 30350, 7/9: An 80-year-old woman told police that she was shopping at Publix and was in the process of walking home. She was approached by a green SUV. A white female in her 30’s, exited and grabbed her purse. The victim held on to the purse, causing her to fall. She suffered a cut over her eye. The suspect re-entered the SUV and fled. The victim was taken to Northside Hospital to be patched up.
• 4920 Roswell Road, 30342, 7/11: The management of the Sally Beauty Supply said that in the early evening hours, two women entered the store and began looking around. A customer then shouted that one of the women was stealing hair extensions. The suspect slugged the witness and ran out the front door. The employees locked the door before the second woman could escape. She managed to unlock the door and then pulled a gun on the employees who pursued her. She got into a Honda Civic driven by a third suspect and left. One of the officers spotted the car and followed, then attempted to get the car to stop. The car then eluded the police, driving recklessly onto I-285. The officer got close enough to the car to read the tag, but also saw a child in the car, which continued to drive recklessly. The officer terminated the pursuit. The suspect who pulled the gun is a heavyset black female in her mid 20's. The second suspect is a black female with a skinny build, believed to be in her 20’s and had goldish-colored hair. The third suspect and child were not described. The witness, who was struck by the suspect, chose to leave before the cops arrived.

Burglary

• 300 block of The Cliffs, 30350, 7/6: The realtor for a home reported someone came into the home between June 19 and July 6. Several items inside were damaged and a suitcase with personal hygiene items was left behind.
• 7300 block of Cardigan Circle, 30328, 7/7: Responding to an alarm, the officer found a carport gate open. Checking inside, he and the resident who arrived, found muddy footprints on the floor and evidence that someone did enter. The victim has a Ring doorbell/video system but the resident said she has not received a video from the company at the time of the report.
• 100 block of Kingston Manor Ct., 30342, 7/9: An alarm which activated just after 3 a.m., sent police to the location where they found a broken window and a paver used to make the break. A piece of lawn furniture was under the window, apparently used to climb up. A gun and iPad were later determined by the owner to have been taken.
• 5000 block of Willow Bluff Drive, 30328, 7/9: Responding to an alarm, the officer found a garage door and door leading inside the home open. It looks like the suspect got a printer and then left. The home is in transition.
• 300 block of Brixham Court, 30328, 7/8: Cops were given an alarm call, soon upgraded to a burglary in progress. The caller was out of town but saw two suspects via his video camera. They exited the rear of the home carrying bags just as the cops arrived. Entry looks to have been made through a patio door after breaking the adjacent glass window. Several items were taken. The suspects appear to be two young white males, one with a short buzz-style haircut.
• 5675 Roswell Road, 30342, 7/8: Between 8 and 11:30 p.m., someone entered the victim’s apartment through a back window forced open. Once inside, the suspect stole $1,000 in cash. Other items of value inside the apartment were left alone.
• 6900 block of Roswell Road, 30328, 7/11 (The Lodge Apartments): Between 9:45 and 1 a.m., someone entered the apartment through a window, stealing a small amount of jewelry from the victim’s bedroom dresser.
• 6345 Powers Ferry Road, 30339, 7/4: A 30-year-old woman said she met a man on the website “Bumble” and they went to a room at the Wyndham Hotel. At some point she went to the restroom. The man said he was going for water and was gone a while, causing her to go and look for him. When she returned to her room, her phone was gone. She told officers that she knew little about him other than his various names including Arinzie and Angelo and maybe Chike. Capt. Steve Rose: I hate to see folks taken advantage of, but come on. The only thing you knew about this guy was the fact that he used more than one name. In police work, we call that a clue.
• 800 Lake Placid Drive, 30342, 7/5: A 2003 GMC Envoy was stolen just after 9 a.m. Inside the unlocked car were the keys to the car, $300 cash, a passport and personal papers. The victim’s friend had $100 cash, credit card and ID stolen as well. Capt. Rose: I absolutely hate when victims get taken to the cleaners like this but like I said above, come on! You might as well write “Steal Me” on the windshield.
• Hammond Drive ramp to GA-400, 30328, 7/6: A hydraulic lift trailer was stolen from inside a construction area overnight.
• 4900 block of Roswell Road, 30342, 7/6: A 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee was reported stolen just after 9 p.m.
• 975 Johnson Ferry Road, 30342, 7/7: Sometime overnight someone forced a parking garage coin machine and made off with $190.
• 6690 Roswell Road, 30328, 7/7: Employees reported that two wallets were taken from their purses while they attended a staff meeting. One victim didn’t know of the theft until her credit card company informed her that someone purchased $261 in items from the CVS in the 6300 block of Roswell Road. CVS will provide a video shortly. The suspect who used the card is a black male with short hair and was wearing Air Jordan attire. Moments later, two females, made purchases but the card was declined.
• Another theft was reported in this shopping complex. That store owner said between
  2:45 and 3:45 p.m., a black female wearing a blue shirt and jeans asked about the service, then asked to use the bathroom. She was gone for about 5 minutes. Later, the employee discovered her wallet, cards, driver's license, $150 in cash and her Samsung Galaxy 7 phone were gone. Two more employees lost personal items in the theft. Capt. Rose: Well, I think access control, formerly known as key control, is a fitting topic here. Aside from the threat of active shooters gaining access to a school or business, just in general security, there should be no access into your business without your knowledge either by sight or electronic alert. Shoring up your perimeter access is not hard. Don’t allow internal access, including restroom usage. Just say no.
• 4500 block Roswell Road, 30342, 7/8: A 31-year-old man reported that his 2015 Chevrolet Silverado was stolen from his workplace, along with $5,000 in tools. The thief found the spare key under the driver’s seat. Capt. Rose: Many people, including those who possess drugs in their cars, believe that the area under the car seats is a magical invisible place. One of the few things cops and thieves have in common is they quickly search under car seats when looking for something. This is not a good place to stash whatever you’re stashing.
• 6650 Roswell Road, 30328, 7/10: A 50-year-old woman reported she was at Goodwill around noon when she was approached by a man asking questions about kid’s clothing. Later when she checked out, she noticed the wallet was missing from her purse. A person shopping at Target in Dunwoody found a few of her cards and called the number on the back of one. Someone had attempted to purchase over $500 in prepaid gift cards, but the sale was declined due to the amount of the purchase attempt. Target staff will have a copy of the video for the detectives.
• 8295 Roswell Road, 30350, 7/10: A 49-year-old woman reported she was at Chevron around 8:30 p.m. She parked and entered the store, leaving her car unlocked with her wallet and cellphone on the passenger seat. They were soon gone. She contacted the card company to cancel the card and was told someone phoned in an order at Jo-Jo’s Wings on Roswell Road at Dunwoody Place for $45. The sale did not go through. Also missing are other credit and debit cards, along with $350 cash.
• A 23-year-old woman said she parked her car on Highland Park Trail on the 8th and left her purse
  in the unlocked car overnight. The next day the purse was gone.
• 6345 Powers Ferry Road, 30339, 7/11: The Wyndham Hotel manager’s staff reported that two guests, who checked into the hotel from May 24 to July 10, skipped out on the $4,588 bill. The manager contacted the guest who said he would take care of it but instead, packed up and left overnight.

Thefts From Vehicles

• 2090 Dunwoody Club Drive, 30350, 7/5: $700 cash, briefcase, checks
• 100 block of Goldrush Circle, 30328, 7/5: Laptop from unlocked car
• 980 Johnson Ferry Road, 30342, 7/5: Items not listed
• 5675 Roswell Road, 30342, 7/7: Flashlight and cologne
• 8000 block of Roswell Road, 30350, 7/7: Items not listed
• 300 block of Brixham Court, 30328, 7/8: Bag of tools, empty gun safe, chairs
• 100 block of River North Drive (x2), 30328, 7/8: Sunglasses and misc items
• 400 block of West Spalding Drive, 30328, 7/8: Items not listed, unlocked car
• 200 block of Devonwood Drive, 30328, 7/8: $300 in gift cards
• 200 block of Berwick Drive, 30328, 7/8: Coupon book from unlocked car
• 5925 Roswell Road, 30328, 7/8: Black leather Coach bag with personal items of hygiene and a phone charger
• 7843 Roswell Road, 30350, 7/9: Nothing reported taken
• 200 Morgan Falls Road, 30350, 7/10 (Overlook Park) bag, backpack and contents taken. Witness saw a man in the treeline going through a bag.

Other Things

• 4000 block of Gables Lane, 30328, 7/8: A 24-year-old woman reported that a black male exposed himself to her, then fled the location. The officer spotted him on Spalding Drive but the suspect was able to run and evade capture. The incident occurred just after 1 p.m.
• A 41-year-old woman reported that on July 5, a man whom she knows as “Thomas,” exposed
  himself to her. She said she saw the same man on the report date, July 10, and wanted to report it out of concern, which she did five days later. She said Thomas lives in Park Towers.

Arrests

• Roswell and Northridge roads, 30350, 7/4: A man was arrested for public intoxication and open container, sitting on the curb with his feet into the turn lane to Northridge. He told the cops he thought public drinking was OK on July 4.
• 6317 Roswell Road (Hudson Grille), 30328, 7/4: Officers were called to the bar/restaurant regarding an unconscious female in the foyer. EMT staff was on the scene when the officer arrived. The extremely intoxicated woman was asked to voluntarily go with EMT personnel to be seen at the hospital. She became belligerent and cursed at all involved. She was eventually arrested and taken to the hospital to evaluation. She will appear at a later court date on the charge of disorderly conduct.
• 7741 Roswell Road, 30350: A K-9 officer spotted a car with extremely dark tinting on the windows and as such, initiated a traffic stop. During the course of the stop, the driver was checked for a license status that indicated she was wanted on 10 counts of fraud and ID theft in Athens. Among the things seized from the car, other than her, were five Green Dot cards, a fraudulent South Carolina ID card and an AR-15 weapon.
• 1000 block of Hammond Drive, 30328, 7/5: A fire department employee said that while he was on scene of a birthing call, a male walked behind his marked vehicle and struck it with his fist or object, causing the alarm to activate. The man cursed the employee for blocking the crosswalk. The crosswalk advocate was also a good bit intoxicated and as such, ended up in jail for it, and the fact that he has been a customer of ours before, for alcohol-related incidents.
• 4600 Roswell Road, 30342, 7/6: Police were called to The Urban Cookhouse around 6:30 p.m. on an assault call. The officer spoke to the man in question who was cooperative until the 911 operator advised the officer the man was wanted in DeKalb County on aggravated assault warrants. The man tried to yank his arm away while the officer cuffed him. They fought for a minute or so until he was secured and cuffed. After he was secured in the car, the other party, his wife, was interviewed. She had physical signs of having been hit and told the officer he hit her in the face and neck. The man was booked into jail on battery (Family Violence) and obstruction charges connected with his scuffle with the officer. He will later be taken to DeKalb County Jail on their warrant.
• 5580 Roswell Road, 30342, 7/6: A Lifetime Fitness member reported $20 was stolen from his locker. This is consistent with several other thefts at this location over the past couple of months. After it was reported, an employee said he observed a man who is employed as a personal trainer, emerge from a janitor’s closet holding a gym bag, later identified as the victim’s gym bag that the $20 was contained in. Long story short, the trainer, who had access to lockers via master key, took the bag from the locker, hid in the closet while he searched the bag, then returned it to the locker. Unfortunately for him, the other employee was within sight of the theft. The man was arrested for the theft and the investigators are looking to see if he committed the others, which I think is a good possibility.
• 1165 Perimeter Center West, 30328, 7/7: A passerby called police regarding a dog in a car with the windows rolled up. The officers contacted the owner who said his daughter had the car. The officer located the daughter after her dad gave the officer her cellphone number. She was inside the Goodwill store. The time of dispatch to contact with her was over an hour. Temp was 82 and humid. She was charged with animal cruelty with a court date in August. The dog was OK.
• On July 7, the Kroger staff at 4920 Roswell Road called the cops to report a man walking out with
  a cart of food but no payment. They located him loading said items in his truck. He apologized and re-loaded the cart and returned the items. He is charged with shoplifting.
• 800 Lake Placid Drive, 30342, 7/8: An off-duty marshal deputy called police after observing and then detaining an 18-year-old male, who lived in nearby 201 Northwood Drive. The officer observed the suspect looking into cars and then checking doors. He was later booked on disorderly conduct charges and jailed.
• 8000 block of Adair Lane, 30350, 7/8: A witness said she observed a woman in an unconscious state. The officer arrived and was told by the now-conscious woman that she had just smoked some heroin. A black pouch with two glass pipes, aluminum foil, and some heroin, supported her statement. She was medically evaluated by paramedics and then taken to the hospital and released on a copy of disorderly conduct charges.
• 201 Northwood Drive, 30342, 7/10: Just before 1 a.m., cops were dispatched to the apartment complex on a person-stabbed call. They found the victim who told them he was cut by a man he knew as Gonzo. He gave a clothing description of the man. Another officer checked the area and soon spotted a man who matched the physical description. The officer stopped and yelled Gonzo to which the man turned around. The officer approached him and saw blood on his clothing. He was secured and placed in the patrol car. The suspect admitted the assault and was later charged with aggravated assault and transported to Fulton Jail.
• Northridge Road, 30350, 7/12: While at 1000 Abernathy Road, a K-9 officer ran a tag showing the registration belonged on a Honda. The car he ran it on was a Lincoln. He activated his blue lights but the car refused to stop; however, it did not actively flee, so the officer followed it onto Peachtree Dunwoody Road and then onto Abernathy Road where it entered GA-400 ramp, then took off, passing other cars on the right side of the ramp. The car drove north, then exited onto Northridge Road, where he struck two cars, then made a left turn into the residential area. Several units responded to the area, knowing that community has only one way in and out. Units soon received a 9-1-1 call from a resident in the 1700 block who said a black male knocked on his door asking if the resident would call a tow truck. The man, however, did not wait, but drove off. He abandoned the car a short time later and absconded into the woods on foot. Officers concentrated on the wooded area until they flushed him out between Island Ford Park and Island Ferry Road. He was later arrested on charges including suspended license, fleeing from the police, hit and run, no insurance, reckless driving, obstruction and covering the car’s identity.
• And finally, in the growing crisis, on July 9, officers cited two men, in unrelated calls, for urinating in the parking lot near the Mardi Gras strip club.

Image via Sandy Springs Police Department