Entering Auto Suspect Captured After Foot Chase: Blotter

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 of the incidents that occurred Jan. 1-11:

Robbery

• 100 block of Northwood Drive, 30342, 1/6 (Super Mercado y Carniceria Santa Fe): The employees said around midnight a man entered the store with a rifle and a knife. The suspect “snatched” money, totaling $6,000, from the counter. The employee explained that this was the practice, counting the week’s revenue on the counter. The suspect also took $380 from an employee’s wallet and then ran south from that location. The victims said the suspect was Hispanic but spoke English, 5’9” and slim. He wore grey gloves and a multicolored striped ski mask, green pants and a black jacket. To make things worse, one of the victims had a warrant from Sandy Springs and as a result, was taken into custody.
• 230 Hammond Drive, 30328, 1/8: This is labeled robbery but reads like a theft. The victim met a man on the selling site Let Go to sell a pair of shoes. He met a man named Mr. Thomas and another man named Mr. Cruz. Thomas came into the building, Cruz stayed in the car. Thomas said he wanted to show the shoes to Cruz and walked outside. The victim got nervous about the possibility of theft and followed. Sure enough, Thomas got into the car and they drove away. The victim tried to pull on the door but could not get it open. On arrival, officers posted a lookout and just like in "Adam-12," a patrol K-9 officer spotted Cruz at the McDonalds on Roswell Road. Cruz took off running but was quickly corralled. Cruz quickly gave up Thomas, which is not the suspect’s real name. Turns out Thomas goes to school at Gordon State College. The detective contacted the campus cops there, who confirmed the real identity of Mr. Thomas. That followed with a copy of the arrest warrant and the Gordon College cops arrested Mr. Thomas for robbery and turned him over to Fulton County Jail. I do not know if or not the shoes were recovered.
• 8601 Roberts Drive, 30350, 1/11: This is listed as a robbery but it was a domestic-violence call where the male suspect hit the victim and stole her phone.

Burglary

• Mount Paran Road, 30342, 1/1: The resident said their car was missing from the driveway of the home. They were gone from the residence from about 9:30 p.m. until 1 a.m. Officers found evidence that the home had been entered, ransacking, etc. Several items were taken including kitchen utensils, cooker, juicer and coffee grinder. The resident also reported an Xbox game, purse, wallet, jewelry, cash, and keys to the car and business were taken.
• 1300 block of Marsh Trail Circle, 30350, 1/2: Someone entered the resident’s apartment sometime between 9:15 a.m. and 5 p.m. The front door had been forced open. The resident said several laptops were missing. Nothing else was reported missing.
• 1900 block of Marsh Trail Circle, 30350, 1/3: The resident was gone from 4:30 a.m. until the following midnight. He returned and found the apartment unlocked and lights on. He is missing a suitcase, PS4, and a laptop. The other resident is missing jewelry.
• 6500 block of Roswell Road, 30328, 1/4: The complainant said an eviction took place. However, they did not change the locks and during that time, someone got inside the apartment and took a washer and dryer as well as a wine chiller.
• 5400 Roswell Road, 30342, 1/4: The resident left home about 1 p.m. She returned and discovered several jewelry items were taken from the home. She said she suspects another resident of the complex whom she has had problems with before although nothing indicated the other persons was involved in the burglary.
• 700 block of Northway Lane, 30342, 1/5: The resident left the home on Dec. 29 and returned on the fifth. A back door was found unlocked and several items were missing. They found no forced entry.
• 8300 block of Roswell Road, 30350, 1/5 (Pointe at Canyon Ridge Apartments): The resident said he was in his bedroom when he heard noises from his dog cage in the living room. The resident said he thought it was his husband returning, but instead he found a black male standing in the living room. The suspect immediately fled. The officer noted that according to the complainant, the dog did not bark at the suspect “although he barked uncontrollably at me.”
• 3100 River Exchange Drive, 30350, 1/8: The resident said she left for work around 7 a.m. and returned just before 8 p.m. She found that her front door deadbolt was damaged. Missing is a flat screen TV, Sony radio, headphones and jewelry.
• 7100 block of Glenridge Drive, 30328, 1/11 (St. Jude the Apostle Church): Someone forced entry to the gift shop and took $247 cash from the register.

Theft

• 6200 block of Peachtree Dunwoody Road, 30328, 1/1: Employee fired, said she had the company keys and would come back and “mess the place up.”
• 5700 block of Roswell Road, 30342, 1/2 (Comfort Inn): See below highlight.
• 700 block of Willow Creek, 30328, 1/2: Washer and dryer taken.
• 5900 block of Peachtree Dunwoody Road, 30342, 1/3: Fired employee took car-washing
  equipment including Sportsman generator, Ryobi vacuum and towels.
• 6300 block of Roswell Road, 30328, 1/4: Tag.
• 1155 Mt. Vernon Hwy, 30328, 1/6 (LA Fitness): locker, “dial” lock taken as well as credit card subsequently used next door at Dick’s Sporting Goods for $1,500.
• 273 High Top Circle, 30328, 1/8
• 500 block of Northland Ridge, 30342, 1/8: Credit cards ordered and then taken from victim’s mailbox by suspect. Fraud.
• 600 block of Summer Xing, 30350, 1/9: Package was stolen from victim’s doorstep.
• 4641 Roswell Road, 30342, 1/11 (Odd Job Tree Service): An employee faked the theft of two chainsaws from the work truck and then put them on Craigslist to sell. Owner saw the ad, confronted the now ex-employee who admitted the theft. He told the owner he would take him to the stolen chainsaws. The owner followed in his car, but the suspect deliberately fled causing the owner to lose sight of the suspect.
• 4920 Roswell Road, 30342, 1/11 (Kroger): An employee purchased items at the self-checkout area and requested $100 cash. The cash did not immediately come out of the slot so the victim walked away to get assistance. On return, he discovered that the money was dispensed in his absence and was taken by someone else. He said a woman “lurked” over his shoulder during the transaction.
• 200 block of Franklin Road, 30342, 1/11: The victim ordered a video game system online through Amazon. They delivered it, documenting that it was left in the mail room just before 2 p.m. He arrived at 5 p.m. to pick it up and it was gone. The apartment staff said they had no knowledge of the package.

This Week’s Highlight: The victim, a guest at the Comfort Inn on PDR, told cops he met another man on the website Grindr. According to the report, they met at the hotel to spend "some quality time together.” Following the blissful time spent in quality mode, the man absconded after stealing $3,200 cash. Capt. Steve Rose says: we have had this discussion before. You take a chance with your property and perhaps

your life when you arrange meetings with total strangers. A March 16, 2016, article in The Telegraph reports crimes linked to sites like Grindr and Tinder have increased “seven fold” in the past two years prior to 2015. Got to be careful folks.

Thefts From Vehicles

• 200 block of Franklin Road, 30342, 1/2
• 8200 block of Landing S., 30350, 1/2
• 1165 Perimeter Center West, 30328, 1/2
• 6800 block of PDR, 30328, 1/2
• 100 block of River North Cir., 30328, 1/3
• 5580 Roswell Road, 30342, 1/3
• 6200 block of Roswell Road, 30328, 1/4
• 2300 block of Sandalwood Drive, 30350, 1/5
• 1117 Perimeter Center West, 30328, 1/5
• 7000 Roswell Road, 30328, 1/5 (see arrests below)
• 100 block of North Mill Road, 30328, 1/8
• 1155 Mt. Vernon Hwy, 30328, 1/11

• 5600 block of PDR (St. Joe’s Hospital), 30342, 1/8: Officers were called to the hospital ER regarding a person shot. They spoke to a man who said he was the brother of the person shot. He said they were at a bar downtown and at some point they got into an argument with a white female and black male. The complainant’s brother was shot as they walked through the parking lot. A car, described as unknown, pulled up. The driver, also described as unknown, told them to get in, which they did, and they drove to St. Joe’s. The complaint (of course) did not know where the bar was located in Atlanta. The person, who was shot, will survive. The detectives say the contact number given has been called numerous times with no answer. Capt. Steve Rose: Okay first, and I speak only for myself here, I don’t believe the story. Who would? Secondly, if you are shot in Atlanta, Grady should be your first choice. Great hospital and great trauma center, and it is not in Sandy Springs.

Assault

• 6000 block of Roswell Road, 30328, 1/7 (McDonald’s): The victim said he was assaulted while eating lunch. Said he things the suspect was a gang member.
• 200 block of Summer Crossing, 30350, 1/11: The victim said shortly after 6 a.m. a black male knocked on his door and began arguing over a parking issue. The victim said he pulled an automatic gun from his waistband but did not point it at him. The suspect’s girlfriend called him “Xavier.”
• 7000 block of Hunters Branch,30328, 1/11: Domestic

Arrests

• 8500 block of Roswell Road, 30350, 12/31: Marijuana possession
• 400/Abernathy, 30328, 1/1: DUI
• 7855 Roswell Road, 30350, 1/1: DUI
• 5699 Lake Placid, 30342, 1/1: Suspended driver's license
• 5300 block of Roswell Road, 30342, 1/1: Suspended D
• Dunwoody Place/Northridge, 30350, 1/1: No insurance
• 400/Abernathy, 30328, 1/2: Marijuana possession
• 400/Spalding, 30350, 1/3: DUI
• 7700 block of Roswell Road, 30350, 1/3: DUI
• 7000 Roswell Road, 30328, 1/5: An officer responded to a theft in progress at the apartment complex. A witness saw a man break into a Kia Soul. Based on the lookout, the officer came up on the suspect and detained him briefly until he decided things were not going his way. He fled on foot with the officer in pursuit. Both ran across Roswell Road and onto the 500 block of Spalding Drive. During the chase, the suspect tripped and fell, allowing the officer time to catch up and cover him with her Taser. He complied and was cuffed. He was later charged with entering auto.
• 1130 Spalding Drive, 30350, 1/8: Officers stopped a car on a seatbelt violation. During the stop, the officers smelled marijuana coming from inside the car. The driver was arrested because he did not possess a license. Officers found a 9 mm pistol during the inventory of the car. The gun information came back as stolen from the nationally recognized safe city known as Johns Creek. The driver said the gun belonged to the passenger. He told officers the passenger asked for a ride from 7000 Roswell Road (Celebration Apartments) to the MARTA Station. When he picked him up, the passenger pulled the gun from his waistband, offering to sell it for $200. The driver said he declined. He went on to say that when they were pulled over, the passenger tried to get the driver to take the gun and some Oxycodone pills in a plastic bag. The driver refused to take the gun but stashed the pills in his crotch. Both men were arrested, the driver for possessing the gun by a convicted felon, and marijuana. The passenger for disorderly conduct.

Image via Sandy Springs police