Man Found Dead Inside Truck, Resident Robbed After Taxi Ride: 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 Sept. 22-28:

First this: Thanks to all the folks who took time to say hello at the new free Sandy Springs Festival. Thanks to Carol and Sarah for orchestrating the festival again this year and the volunteers who worked so hard. Thanks to the Citizens on Patrol members who donated time at the police department tent. Last, but not least, thanks to Scott Busch and the folks at Steel Canyon Golf Course on Morgan Falls Road for the use of the cart again this year.

Robbery

• 6637 Roswell Road (Regions Bank), 30328, 9/22: Employees of the bank said a man came to the teller window and produced the traditional bank-robbery note that read, “Give me large bills only, no bait money, you have 30 seconds.” She did as she was told and the suspect left on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. He is described as a black male, 5’9” to 5’11” tall, goatee and mustache, and wore sunglasses, a black and red jacket, black pants and a black hat.
• 8700 block Roswell Road, 30350, 9/24: A 29-year-old man reported that he was in a Roswell bar and took a taxi into Sandy Springs. He wanted to stop at McDonald's but the driver did not, so the fare ended his ride somewhere near Dunwoody Place and Roswell Road (Keep in mind this took place after 3:30 a.m.). The man said two black males who showed a silver gun and demanded his money approached him. He said he had none, so they took his phone. One suspect had a white shirt with sweatpants. The other had on a shirt, black with graphics on it. Capt. Rose: See why your mom said, “Nothing good happens after midnight?” Generally, it does not. I can think of some exceptions but enough about me. At 3:30 a.m., you should be home in that REM phase of your sleep where you are dreaming of something that you will forget seconds after waking for that trip to the bathroom. I hate it when you know the dream was awesome and it simply fades out. I have done so many cool things in my dreams that it is only fair that I should be able to recall them. Some experts say you should wake and immediately write it down to remember the dream when you wake the following morning. I tried that and it didn’t work. For some reason, all I did was draw a cartoon of Richard Nixon.
• 7700 block Colquitt Road, 30350, 9/25: The 35-year-old victim said he was on the way to visit a friend at the apartment complex when two males in the breezeway area approached him. The two threatened him and then took his gold watch, diamond stud earrings, gold diamond ring and bracelet. No gun was seen or implied. Both suspects were said to be young black males, one with a burgundy hoodie and the other a cream color hoodie.

Burglary

• 6900 block of Roswell Road, 30328, 9/23: The resident said she took her husband to work at about 10:30 a.m. When she returned, she noticed her rent money was missing but assumed her husband took it. Later, they noticed that shoes and a video game had been taken. There was no forced entry.
• 200 block of Green Hill Road, 30328, 9/24: The resident said someone came into the home through a forced (broken) window in the basement. It appears the burglar got inside but took nothing.
• 6690 Roswell Road, 30328, 9/26 (Aldo’s Italian Restaurant): Officers met a man who said that he heard glass breaking at or near the restaurant at about 4:30 a.m. He found an upstairs door ajar and glass on the floor. The items taken were not listed. The officers were able to lift several fingerprints.
• 5675 Roswell Road, 30342, 9/27: The 34-year-old male reported that someone forced entry to his apartment while he was out of town. Missing are 2 queen-size mattresses, a MacBook Pro, Comcast cable box and queen size sheets.

Theft

• River Vista Drive, 30339, 9/24: A 68-year-old man reported his Trek bike was stolen from the 4th floor parking level garage.
• 5300 block Peachtree Dunwoody Road, 30342, 9/25: Sometime between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m., someone accessed by force numerous mailboxes inside the apartment community mailbox center.
• 5975 Roswell Road, 30328, 9/25: An office manager for a dental practice said a former employee accessed her personal credit card and between June and August, ran up more than $4,000 in charges. The same suspect is believed to have illegally used the dentist’s DEA number to write a barbiturate prescription for her husband.
• 5000 block of The Valley, 30328, 9/26: A 37-year-old man said he rents his car out on a website called “Turo.” The victim agreed to rent the car for $2,000 for one month. After the suspect left with the car, the victim was told the credit card was stolen. The car is a 2015 BMW 328i.
• 500 block Monterrey Pkwy, 30350, 9/26: A 32-year-old man reported his 2007 Honda Civic was stolen sometime between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• A 38-year-old woman reported that her friend, “Big Ruff,” stole her car.
• 200 block of Dunwoody Creek Circle, 30350, 9/28: A 2010 Toyota Tundra truck was stolen from a residence sometime between 11:30 p.m. and 8 a.m.

Thefts From Vehicles

• 5590 Roswell Road, 30342, 9/22: Laptop
• 5590 Roswell Road, 30342, 9/22 Book bag
• 1000 block of Manorwood Ct., 30328, 9/24: Change only
• 600 block of Marsh Trail Circle, 30350, 9/24: Nothing taken
• 5400 block of Idlewood Drive, 30328, 9/25: Tag from motorcycle
• 6300 block of PDR, 30328, 9/25: Tag
• 5600 Roswell Road, 30342, 9/27: MacBook
• 300 block of Summit Place, 30350, 9/27: Credit and personal ID cards taken

Other Things

• 1000 block of Pitts Road, 30350, 9/22: A 58-year-old woman said she gave a man a lift to an apartment complex. On arrival, the man threw her pocketbook to the ground and said he would knock the hell out of her. The man said he is the maintenance employee of the apartments and the woman was living in her car on the property. He said this is an ongoing issue with homeless people using vacant apartments and
  trashing the property. The officer’s notes said the car looked “lived in.”
• A woman reported she was out of town for two months and during that time, someone applied for
  credit in her name.
• A woman reported she allowed a relative to stay at her residence for a time. The relative
  stole her company credit card when she moved out. The relative is now in Albany, GA and has used the card for $748 at different Albany locations. The victim’s company told police they would prosecute.
• I-285 near Riverside Drive, 30328, 9/28: Police were called just after 8 a.m. to check on a man slumped over the wheel of his truck. When they arrived, they found the 57-year old man dead from a gunshot wound later determined to be self-inflicted.
• A 67-year-old woman met a man named Leon on Match.com. They corresponded for a
  period until she decided to break it off. He has since texted, e-mailed, and phoned the victim excessively and aggressively, not to mention angrily. Capt. Rose: I still like old school. Too much fraud online. Just go to Johnny’s Hideaway where the lights are low and the liquor flows.
• A 52-year-old woman said she was introduced to a man who claimed to be a mortgage expert and would help her avoid foreclosure. The man convinced the woman to add him to the deed, which she did. The man subsequently added multiple names to the deed. The woman is now attempting to sell the home, however the [suspect] is interfering with the sale.
• 6400 PDR, 30328, 9/23: A 49-year-old man met another man, in the parking lot of the Home Depot, who said he could fix his credit for a fee. He paid the man $1,200 and was promised to be contacted in a few months. He has been in contact with the man but nothing has been done. Capt. Rose: What the are you thinking? You don’t meet financial advisors or credit counselors in the parking lot.
• 5975 Roswell Road, 30328, 9/22: A man upset over his glasses went into the Eyewear Galleria. Another patron said something to him that provoked the man to shove the other guy, and in the process, knocked a woman to the ground. The man left but he is identified by his info at the store.
• 8725 Roswell Road, 30350, 9/23: The manager of Wing Stop said man came in at closing time, wanting to order wings. He was told the store was closing, provoking him into a tantrum. He grabbed the register/computer, threw it to the ground and then ran to a black Nissan and fled.
• A woman said shortly after 11 p.m., her downstairs neighbor made excessive noises by stomping and slamming drawers. After a while, she too stomped in protest. Shortly after, she heard a banging on her door. She opened it to find a note and photocopy of items he stored in front of his door. She is the HOA person for the community.

Arrests

• 2090 Dunwoody Club Drive, 30350, 9/22: The employees of Fifth Third Bank called regarding a forgery in progress. Cops arrived minutes later and detained a man who had (uttered) a check he wanted cashed for $2,370. The bank checked with the check’s issuer who said the check was mailed to a company for $370, but never made it. The suspect was jailed on third degree forgery charges.
• Abernathy and Wright roads, 30328, 9/22: A traffic unit officer conducted a speeding stop on a motorist going about 52 in a 35. The driver was identified as being wanted on a transaction fraud warrant out of Tyrone. He was arrested.

Image via Sandy Springs police