Gunshots Stop Prowler In His Tracks: Police 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 May 19-25:

Burglary

• 4600 block Roswell Road, 30342 (Authentic Beauty Salon): Sometime between 5 p.m. and 9:30 the following morning, someone entered the business by forcing a rear window. The owner said she suspects a former employee who was let go recently.
• 200 block Summerset Lane, 30328, 5/20: The resident said someone attempted to punch the door lock to gain entrance to the home. It appears they were not able to get in.
• 8600 Roberts Drive, 30350, 5/20: An employee of Preserve at Dunwoody Apartments reported that just before midnight, he was notified by the alarm company that there was movement inside a maintenance shed. He later found that the shed had been forcefully entered and coolant was missing.
• 900 block Cimarron Pkwy, 30350, 5/21: A 28-year old resident reported that sometime between noon May 20 and 1 a.m. the following morning, someone forced entry (front door) to her apartment. Missing are a Toshiba laptop, Apple computer and two bags of clothing.
• 6000 block Weatherly Drive, 30328, 5/22: A neighbor called police after finding broken glass on the garage door of the home whose owner is out of town. The glass on the door to the house was broken as well but the officers could not determine if or not someone came into it. The resident was notified by phone.
• 4700 block Brinkley Lane, 30342, 5/23: The resident said someone came into the home sometime between 4 p.m. May 18 and 5:30 p.m. May 23. A front door was forced open. Missing is a 55” Bravia TV, two Sony speakers, Dell laptop and jewelry.
• 5800 block Hilderbrand Drive, 30328, 5/24: The resident said he was gone between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. During that time, someone forced a back door open and took two televisions, 47- and 60-inch Samsung models. Also missing is jewelry, cash and an Apple iPad. The resident’s neighbor said he recalled seeing a white male, bald, who was knocking on doors around 11:30 a.m.

Theft

• A 36-year-old man said he returned jewelry that he bought, valued at $6,000, to another man who
  has not refunded per the agreement. Letters of demand have been ignored and so the matter will be considered theft by conversion. This was a long-distance purchase.
• 5580 Roswell Road, 30342, 5/19: A 44-year-old woman said her juvenile son was playing basketball and placed his personal items near court side. Someone stole the items, including a pair of Beats headphones.
• 5580 Roswell Road, 30342, 5/21 (Lifetime Fitness): A 34-year-old man said his locker was entered and $200 cash taken. The report did not state if or not the locker was locked. Another man reported a theft of his iPhone while he was playing basketball sometime between 9-11:30 p.m.
• 2200 block Jefferson Drive, 30350, 5/23: A 2017 Audi A4, stolen from Philadelphia, was located parked in front of an apartment building. The hit was via Lo-Jack. The car was unoccupied and later impounded.
• 7 Concourse Pkwy, 30328, 5/24: A 2017 Nissan Altima was stolen from the Westin Hotel. The car was a rental from Enterprise.
• 5930 Roswell Road, 30328, 5/24: A 59-year-old woman reported that she was shopping at Whole Foods around 3 p.m. when she discovered that her wallet was missing from her purse. A short time later, a woman, described as in her 60’s, tried to get a $,2500 cash advance from SunTrust Bank on the victim’s Citi Visa card. The attempt was rejected. The same woman then attempted a $3,000 cash advance on the victim’s account. The bank employees smelled a rat and rejected it, causing the woman to exit the bank on foot north on Roswell Road. The suspect was described as a white female, hair pulled up in a bun, glasses, wearing a red floral shirt with a cream long tank top underneath it. She also wore cream-colored pants — in other words, she looks like every librarian in the country.
• A cabbie reported that on May 24, around 11:30 p.m., his fare jumped out without paying the $21
  fare and ran from the location, which was Riverwood High School. The man had been picked up in Cobb at the Braves game. The suspect was a white male, 30 years old, small build and height, and was wearing khaki pants and a brown shirt. Another officer spotted a man who matched the lookout walking on Heards Ferry Drive. He spoke to the man who admitted being in the taxi. He told the officer that he originally used Uber, but the driver cancelled on his so he asked a cab driver if he would take him for the same fare Uber would charge him. According to the man, the driver agreed. Along the way, the driver reneged so the man absconded from the van. The officer asked the man if he offered to pay the fare. The man replied, “That’s a good question,” but did not answer. He was later charged with theft of services.
• Finally, a moped was stolen from Brentwood Way around 2 a.m. May 25. The owner said four
  men in a grey two-door truck, pulled in front of his apartment and put the moped in the truck, then fled.

Theft From Vehicles

• 960 Johnson Ferry Road, 30342, 5/19: Tumi purse, iPad, medicine, checkbook
• 6445 Powers Ferry Road, 30339, 5/19: credit card (later used for $400)
• 1000 Abernathy Road, 30328, 5/20: three weapons and tools
• 400 block Riverhill Drive, 30328, 5/20: tag
• 6 Concourse Pkwy, 30328, 5/20: two guns
• 5600 Roswell Road, 30342, 5/21: Samsung cellphone and GPS
• 6390 Roswell Road, 30328, 5/21: iPhone, comptuer, GoPro camera
• 5925 Roswell Road, 30328, 5/21: Michael Kors purse and contents
• 6120 Roswell Road, 30328, 5/21: mostly clothes
• 5671 Peachtree Dunwoody Road, 30342, 5/22: Ccllphone, other items including passport
• 6700 block Powers Ferry Rd (x5), 30339, 5/22: suspect -- black pickup F-150 new
• 1100 block Jefferson Drive, 30350, 5/23: tag (temporary)
• 5920 Roswell Road, 30328, 5/24: not listed
• 5925 Roswell Road, 30328, 5/24 (Chick-fil-A): three laptops, cellphone, documents, ID, etc.

Other Things

• 6350 PDR (Costco): A man said he was waiting for a parking space but another car took it. He parked next to that person then knocked on the driver’s window, telling the man that he took his parking spot and he was calling the police. The two had a brief exchange that went nowhere. Capt. Steve Rose says: Okay, first, people are rude. Parking lot etiquette is non-existent. Get over it. Secondly, if someone takes your parking spot, it is not a crime so don’t call the police.
• A Starbucks employee reported that around 7:30 p.m. May 20, he was working the drive-through window and took a $6 order from a man who gave him a $20. He filled the order and gave him change for the $20. The man then insisted he gave the employee a $50 to which the employee respectfully disagreed. The man then raised his shirt to reveal a gun. The victim, now intimidated, gave the man the change he demanded (the cash drawer had no $50 bill). The man left in a 4-door grey Toyota, no plate and with body damage. The suspect is described as a black male, 20 to 30 years old and was wearing a ball cap and a grey vest over a charcoal T-shirt.
• Cops were called to the 1500 block of Harbor Pointe Pkwy around 9 p.m. May 20 on a complaint that a neighbor kicked her door. She said the neighbor had previously keyed her car and her problems with him were ongoing. They went to the man’s apartment. He answered the door and began cursing at both officers and slammed the door that would have closed except that the officer’s boot was in the way. They attempted to explain why they were there. However, the man continued to curse and yell. One of the officers returned to the complainant’s apartment and the suspect followed, yelling and cursing in the presence of the woman and her two kids, ages 8 and 10 months. The officers arrested the man, who began to kick the door and the window of the car.
• A serious-injury crash was investigated around 11 a.m. Friday, May 19. The crash occurred on I-285 eastbound at Roswell Road. One driver hit another in the rear, causing the second car to lose control. That driver is hospitalized in critical condition. The at-fault driver has been cited. Further charges may be lodged contingent on the recovery of the hospitalized victim.
• 8300 block Roswell Road, 30350, 5/19: The complainant said on April 24, someone went through her mailbox as well as her neighbor's, stealing and later cashing checks valued at $246.
• 4600 block Roswell Road, 30342, 5/23: An employee said the company computer was infected with a Trojan virus, allowing the crooks to access more than 30 tax accounts that were subsequently stolen. He told the officer that over $350,000 in fraudulent tax returns were filed and accepted by the IRS.
• 6800 block Roswell Road, 30328, 5/19: The complainant said someone used his AT&T account to purchase three Apple iPhones and two Apple Watches, valued at over $2,000. The purchase was in Statesboro. Another fraudulent sale was made on a Samsung Galaxy phone in Jonesboro, according to the victim.
• 7000 block Saddle Ridge Drive, 30350, 5/23: A man reported that just after midnight, his dogs, inside the home, were “going crazy” about something, prompting him to look out the front window. He observed a man hiding in the bushes. He also saw a dark vehicle with the trunk lid open and someone in the driver’s seat. The resident walked outside and shined a flashlight into the bushes on the suspicious man who, exited the bushes and aggressively and quickly walked towards the resident. The resident ordered the man to stop several times. However, the suspicious man ignored the commands and continued. The resident said he then fired two shots into the air from his gun. The man stopped and then fled on foot. The car also fled.
• 1000 block Cimarron Pkwy, 30350, 5/19: A 34-year-old man reported someone used his name and information to file taxes in his name.
• 6690 Roswell Road, 30328, 5/19: A 20-year-old man said he was playing basketball at LA Fitness when he was hit in the jaw by an elbow that he contends in the report was done on purpose. The person, whom the elbow belonged to, hastily grabbed his stuff and left. The victim said he found out that his jaw was broken when he went to Northside Hospital.
• A 26-year-old man said he received a text from Wells Fargo saying there was fraud on his
  account. The text requested his information be provided on a separate link, which he provided before realizing the text and link were fraudulent. He quickly contacted Wells Fargo’s Fraud Department, closed his accounts, opened new ones, obtained credit monitoring on the new accounts, and contacted IRS. So far, he has not lost any money. Capt. Rose: This guy made the best of a bad situation by immediately contacting the bank and adjusting his accounts and arranging credit monitoring on the new accounts. Beware of unsolicited text messages asking for sensitive information.
• On May 24, the Rick Hendricks Toyota manager was informed by College Park Police that
  one of their cars, which had been stolen, was recovered following a pursuit and arrest. The car was reported stolen by a man named Mr. Walker. The manager recognized the name as a customer but thought the circumstances were odd since the car, by policy, would not have been authorized to be driven off the property and in possession of a customer. Some internal research showed the car was last in the possession of an employee. Long story short, said employee, as it turned out, used the customer’s name to report the car missing. Needless to say, he is unemployed now.

Arrests

• 5900 block Hilderbrand Drive, 30328, 5/19: Around 1:30 a.m., an unmarked unit spotted a car occupied by two males in an area that had seen thefts recently. The cops checked them out and found both marijuana and cocaine in the car and on the persons. The two were arrested.
• Roswell Road Publix employees caught a juvenile female after she stole a sandwich, chips, and a
  drink. She was released to her father and given a criminal trespass warning not to return to the store.
• 6300 PDR, 30328, 5/19: Home Depot staff detained and arrested a man who stole a Dewald jigsaw, valued at $149. He was taken to jail for shoplifting.
• 6350 PDR, 30328, 5/23: Costco employees observed a man leave the store without paying for DVD’s that he placed down his pants. He was arrested.
• 6000 block Roswell Road, 30328, 5/20: A patrol officer spotted a man walking up a parking deck just after midnight. The man had a backpack. This alone is not all that suspicious, but it was in an area of previous thefts from cars so he checked it out. The man remained in the parking deck, standing around, something that peaked the interest of the officer so he stopped the man, whom he recognized from past contacts. The man was agitated, yelling and cursing at the officer, something that continued while refusing to provide his identification. The man, who was intoxicated, was later charged with loitering and prowling as well as disorderly conduct.
• 6350 PDR, 30328, 5/20: Costco loss prevention staff watched and then detained a man, who was with his 6-year-old son and, who stole a bottle of Bulleit 95 Rye Bourbon, stashing it in a freezer tote, then stashed the tote next to his son. He was charged with shoplifting, but released on a copy since his son was with him.
• 8725 Roswell Road, 30350, 5/20: Publix staff watched as a woman stole two rib eye steaks and a cluster of snow crabs, placing each in her purse. She then left without paying. She was detained and later cited and given a court date for the $69 theft.
• 7000 block Roswell Road, 30328, 5/22: A patrol officer, responding to a suspicious-vehicle call, found the described car in the parking lot of the Stonington condos. Inside the car was a male and female who appeared to be sleeping. The car was confirmed stolen from Decatur in a car-jacking incident. The two were awakened and secured. They told the officers that they took the car from a gas station across from the Georgia Dome after a man left it running while he bought some crack. The pair said they knew the car was stolen. The male driver had an active warrant from Baltimore for motor vehicle theft. He and the passenger were lodged in the Fulton County Jail on theft by receiving charges and the wanted status from Baltimore.
• Cops were called to Target on May 21 on a shoplifting call. The loss prevention staff said they watched the man, who was dressed in long pants with a hospital scrub shirt, conceal several bars of soap, some trail mix, and a football down his pants. He then walked to the trashcan section and urinated in one of the cans. The suspect then walked to the lamp section and began biting on a lamp cord. He then found a
  shopping cart and loaded it, then walked out of the store without paying. He was stopped. The man was intoxicated, telling cops he had two "high gravity" beers. Due to his condition, an ambulance was called to check him out. He told the staff he did not remember urinating in the can nor loading the cart with $498 in merchandise. He was charged with felony shoplifting and urinating in public. Due to his condition, he was taken to the hospital and cited on the charges with an assigned court date.
• Target staff reported a male juvenile took a box of condoms into the bathroom and came out without them. As he walked from the bathroom, the officer approached and asked about the condoms. The juvenile said he flushed them, then said he tossed them in the trash. Right about then, the condoms fell out of his pants. Following the awkward silence, the kid apologized and was detained while cops found a family member to pick him up. He’s charged on a citation.
• On May 23, officers were called to Home Depot after a man took a blower from the box and
  left the store without paying for it. He was detained after the store loss prevention staff caught up to him. He also placed LED lights under his jacket, opting not to use the pants method. He was arrested.
• 7100 Roswell Road, 30328, 5/22: A resident said a man exposed himself to her as he was attempting to open the door to go inside her apartment. Officers located the man who said he would not show his identification. He was later arrested for public intoxication, criminal trespass, public indecency and obstruction.

Image via Sandy Springs Police