Masked Man Robs Store, Forces Employees Into Bathroom: 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 March 3-8:

Robbery

• 215 Northwood Drive, 30342, 3/8: Cops were dispatched to a store on Northwood Drive shortly after midnight. The two employees said a man rushed into the store and pulled a gun on them. He directed one employee to the restroom and the other behind the counter. He demanded all the money in the register and put it in a black plastic bag. He then ordered the employee from behind the counter to the restroom and then fled. The suspect wore a black ski mask, dark clothes and a dark hoodie. He is about 5’8” and heavy set. No one was injured. Detectives are checking video cameras inside and outside of the business.
• 5645 Roswell Road, 30342, 3/8: A 38-year-old man said that he was outside of the Chevron station just after 11 p.m. when he was approached and robbed by a man he described as a black male, who took the victim’s iPhone. The suspect is about 5’8” tall, stocky and about 195 pounds. He had short hair and wore a light brown T-shirt and black pants. He got into a late model Honda minivan occupied by two black males. The van drove north on Roswell Road.

Burglary

• 8100 block of Colquitt Road, 30350, 3/3: Sometime between 7:30 a.m. and 11:45 p.m., someone entered the victim’s apartment and took two rifles, a cellphone, and a computer. The burglar missed an envelope containing $1,000 cash. The entry was made through the front door, which was forced.
• 300 block Johnson Ferry Road, 30328, 3/7: The resident said she left her home around 10 a.m. and returned two hours later to discover someone had entered via a back door (forced). The home was ransacked with several items taken including a 9 millimeter pistol, camera equipment and a laptop. The report indicated good fingerprints were lifted.

Theft

• 700 block of Hammond Drive, 30328, 3/4: A 24-year-old woman said she took a taxi from her job on Buford Highway to her home on Hammond Drive. She made one stop at a convenient store, then home where she noticed that $750 cash was missing from her wallet. She confronted the taxi driver who became angry and sped off without payment for the ride. She did grab the tag number and description of the man.
• 4000 block Harris Trail, 30327, 3/4: A patrol officer spotted a pile of mail on the corner of Harris and West Garmon roads. Some of the mail, including packages and letters, were opened. The addresses included North Harris Ridge, North and East Chambord Drive, and Finch Forest Trail. He located the items around 9 a.m. indicating the thefts took place overnight or the previous day.
• 3800 block Teesdale Court, 30350, 3/5: This started out as parents out of town. The 21-year-old complainant said she invited five friends over. Another person, not invited, showed up and was allowed to come in. The complainant later noticed he was gone and assumed he called Uber. The following day she discovered her car was gone, keys missing from the hook. She called the suspect’s brother who said the suspect had been in an accident in Atlanta and was hospitalized briefly before being arrested. Her car had been impounded. She told the officer her wallet had been left in the car and unauthorized charges were made on her cards at a BP and a Shell Station in Atlanta.
• 4900 block Northland Drive, 30342, 3/6: A contractor reported roofing materials had been stolen over the weekend. The value of the theft was just over $7,000.
• 6200 block Peachtree Dunwoody Road, 30328, 3/7: A 54-year-old employee of Cox Enterprises said she left her wallet and phone holder on her lunch tray at the company cafeteria. She canceled her phone and cards and was informed that the phone had been sold to someone for $180. The buyer called the victim’s home phone that was on a sticker on her cellphone, complaining that the phone didn’t work. She told him the phone was hers and stolen. He hung up. The caller ID captured the number.
• 7300 block Roswell Road, 30328, 3/7: The complainant said a truck was stolen from his business. The lock box had been pried and the keys taken. Another car was listed stolen after the renter failed to return a 2017 Dodge Caravan to Budget Rental.
• 100 block Spring Creek Lane, 30350, 3/8: 2017 Toyota Camry rental car stolen.
• 1000 block Hammond Drive, 30328, 3/8: Checking the parking lot at the Extended Stay, an officer spotted a car with a stolen license plate. The car was not occupied. It was impounded and the tag removed as evidence.

Thefts From Vehicles

• 1100 block of Churchill Downs, 30342, 3/4: Purse and contents
• 6690 Roswell Road, 30328, 3/5 (LA Fitness): Burberry puse and contents
• 6000 block of Vernon Woods, 30328, 3/6: No forced entry; nothing listed
• 4641 Roswell Road, 30342, 3/6: Tag
• 8000 block of River Circle, 30350, 3/7: Briefcase and laptop
• 400 block of Ashdown Way, 30350, 3/7: $50 in change
• 100 block of Spalding Ridge Way, 30350, 3/7: Tools
• 1155 Mt. Vernon Highway, 30328, 3/3: (Arrest made)
• 1155 Mt. Vernon Highway, 30328, 3/8: Dell laptop
• 3000 block of Spalding Drive, 30350, 3/8: HP laptop
• 900 block of Crestline Parkway, 30342, 3/8: Tailgate

Assault

• 5000 block Spring Creek Lane, 30350, 3/7: A 21-year-old reported she was assaulted by her roommate after an argument over the roommate getting a job and helping with the rent. According to the report, slapping ensued. One person was arrested.
• 5000 block Long Grove Drive, 30328, 3/8: A 25-year-old woman reported that she engaged in an argument with her girlfriend at the couple’s residence. During that time, the suspect pulled a pocketknife and stabbed the victim in the lower abdomen as the victim retreated to another room. The other party (suspect) was still at the location and arrested on assault charges associated with the Georgia Domestic Violence Act. The victim was treated for non life-threatening injuries.

Fraud

• 6343 Roswell Road, 30328, 3/4: Cops were called to BB&T regarding an attempt to cash a fraudulent check. They learned that a man, dressed in a traffic vest and hardhat attempted to cash a check for $871 but the account had been previously flagged for fraudulent activity. The suspect was intoxicated but cooperative, telling the officers that he was cashing a check for a friend. The person who the account belongs to confirmed that the suspect was not authorized to cash a check. He was arrested. Capt. Steve Rose says: This is a common practice among fraud perps. In the past, they would locate a homeless
  man from the shelter on Pine Street in Atlanta, or some other location, provide the vest and hardhat and send them in the bank on Friday to cash a payroll check.
• 5500 block Roswell Road, 30342, 3/6: A 50-year-old man said he was contacted by Target employees and told someone activated his Target credit card and purchased an Apple Watch for just over $400 and a $90 gift card. He was then contacted by Macy’s and told someone was using his Macy’s card to purchase $4,654 in diamonds. The suspects tried but were unsuccessful in opening a Discover Card in his name.
• 2090 Dunwoody Club Drive, 30350, 3/6: Someone used the victim’s credit card at a Kroger for just over $1,000.
• A 36-year-old woman on Summer Crossing Drive said she was contacted by a creditor
  wanting payment on an overdue account. She then checked her credit history, finding several fraudulent accounts on it.
• 5000 block Glenridge Drive, 30342, 3/7: A woman reported that someone fraudulently set up an OK Cupid account in her name and phone number that resulted in several inquiries and nude photos being sent to her by creepy dudes.
• 6700 Powers Ferry Road, 30339, 3/8 (Rays on the River): staff reported that a customer purchased $145 in take out and added a $20 tip, on a fraudulent credit card. The suspect was previously flagged at the Alpharetta store and Alpharetta police had an open case on him. They said the man usually ordered lobster tail. They have an ID on the man and good information towards an arrest.

Other Things

• 6000 block PDR, 30328, 3/6: The complainant told police that she works for Bethany Christian Services as a counselor. She told the officer that she has received threatening voice mails from a woman, who gave birth in November. The woman was required to serve jail time in Union City and her child was given to BCS for temporary custody. Following the incarceration, the woman was moved a medical center in Snellville where she left voice mails stating that if the host family wished to keep the child, they would pay the suspect $10,000. She also said would kill everyone at the BCS. The suspect has a past of arrests for threats.

Arrests

• 6851 Roswell Road, 30328, 3/4: Around 3:30 a.m., officers were called to a complaint of a man yelling, screaming, and pounding his hands on cars in the parking lot. It was apparent he was intoxicated, disoriented and belligerent to boot. He kept calling the cops Javier and Ernie, which I have since nicknamed them each. He was arrested.
• 1000 Johnson Ferry Road, 30342, 3/4: An officer, working part-time at Northside Hospital's emergency room, came into contact with a man brought in by ambulance following an accident in DeKalb County. As the man exited the ambulance, the officer observed a laceration on his head and blood on his shirt. The EMT was attempting to give him the citation DeKalb Police wrote on his DUI wreck. The man refused and said he was refusing treatment. Because of his condition, he needed to be medically examined and cleared before release. As the hospital employees attempted to get him inside for treatment, he began using profanity, calling the nurse profane names and dropping the F-Bomb to everyone around him. At that point, the officer had seen enough and told the man he was under arrest for disorderly conduct. The man resisted but was cuffed after being taken to the ground. He continued with his abusive language towards the officer, basically cursing at everyone around him. He even managed to expose himself to the staff, who remained unimpressed. He was later medically cleared and sent to jail.
• Natchez Trace, 30350, 3/5: Cops were called to a parking lot looking for a man who was running through the lot setting off car alarms. They found him in the back seat of a car pretending to sleep. He said he was waiting for a friend. Upon checking him out, they found that his story was false and he was wanted in Cherokee County for possession of methamphetamine. He was arrested.
• 5570 Roswell Road (Target), 30342, 3/5: Security spotted a man stealing a cellphone case and concealing it on himself, in order to abscond without payment. He was caught and placed in the incarceration place where we put people who steal. The value of the theft was $40.
• 8800 Roswell Road, 30350, 3/6: A woman, involved in a car accident, was found to be wanted in Bartow County on a fraud warrant. She was arrested and transferred to Bartow County Sheriff's Office.
• 1155 Mt. Vernon Highway, 30328, 3/3: Officers were called to the shopping center around 11 p.m. after a witness saw several young males who were wearing masks and looking into cars. Shortly before, the same lookout was posted from Crestline Parkway. An officer spotted a van slowly backing from the area described in the lookout. The van was observed slowly driving through the parking lot and appeared to have several occupants. The van was stopped and the officer saw items consisting of a screwdriver, mask and the smell of marijuana. Officers found two weapons, one stolen, hastily stashed into a seat and another along the door storage pocket. Of the six suspects in the van, several were juveniles. Charges range from possessing stolen property (gun was stolen from Atlanta) to marijuana possession, Loitering, Prowling. The subsequent investigation will be directed to the earlier call on Crestline Parkway given that the lookout on that call was identical. Rose: This was a good arrest based on the fact that this scenario is what has driven thefts in the city up a bit over the past years. These are juveniles who, at 11 p.m., are across town, with guns, drugs, looking to steal from cars.
• 1100 Hammond Drive, 30328, 3/7 (Rite Aid): Store staff detained a man after he stole three bottles of beer and downed them in the bathroom. He was arrested.
• 1100 Johnson Ferry Road, 30328, 3/7: A 48-year-old man reported that he was assaulted by a woman who attempted to access a restricted area inside a medical office. He sustained a cut on the lip. He restrained the suspect until help arrived. She was arrested.
• 100 block of Strauss Lane, 30350, 3/7: A 33-year-old man was arrested following a complaint to police that a woman was being forced to work for him at the home. The case is under a more detailed investigation by SSPD and the FBI. Additional details of the incident will remain undisclosed presently.

Image via Sandy Springs Police Department