Police Blotter: Officer Saves Child Choking on Seat Belt

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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 April 22-28:

First the news

• On 4/23, cops responded to a call on GA-400 at the Glenridge Connector and found a car in the gore area with two adults frantically trying to unhook a seat belt that had become wrapped around a small child’s neck. The belt was buckled and restricting the child’s breathing. The officers immediately called EMS then began working on loosening the belt however it would not budge and the child was visibly becoming worse from the lack of air. One of the officers ran to his patrol car and returned with a seat belt cutter and sliced the belt, freeing the hold on the child’s neck. He immediately took in a large gasp of air and appeared to be okay. He was treated by EMS but did not appear to have any negative effects from the incident. It wasn’t noted in the narrative but I think the child was about five years old.

Burglary

• 8775 Roswell Road, 30350, 4/23: Family Dollar Store employees reported that someone accessed a back door to a storage area and stole $500 in cigarettes (I think that’s about two packs now?). The manager said this has happened in the past and thinks it is the same person as before.
• 8340 Roswell Road, 30350, 4/24 (Shell Food Mart) Responding to an alarm, an officer found that the front door had been pried open. Also in the parking lot was a van, engine running, but was abandoned (probably stolen) and was the perp’s vehicle. Detectives took over the investigation.
• 1000 block of Brentwood Way, 30350, 4/26: A 40-year-old woman reported that she left her apartment around 10 a.m. and returned around 4 p.m. Before she returned home she said she heard voices in her head saying “We have your stuff.” She then returned to find her laptop, perfume, angel oil and two keys missing. There were no signs of forced entry. She told the officers that she was currently hearing “static” in her ears. She added that she has a current case pending against her neighbors and suspects them of the burglary.
• 600 block of Chestnut Oak Ct., 30328, 4/27 (8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.): The resident said she returned home and found the door to the carport open and a speaker, that belonged in the living room was on the kitchen counter. Several cabinet doors were open and items moved around. Several items were missing. The victim said a couple of contractors had been in the home on the previous day.
• 5100 block of Spring Creek Lane, 30350, 4/27 (11:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.): the resident said when he arrived home his door was ajar. Inside, a discovered several electronic items missing.
• 2000 block of Huntingdon Chase 30328 4/28 (January through April): The resident was out of town and found that someone entered her home and took coffee.
• 500 block of Forest Hills Drive, 30342, 4/28: A back patio door was pried open and the home entered. A Samsung TV was taken from the back patio and a Visio sound bar from a living room. Several other items were also missing.

Thefts

• A woman reported that she went through the drive through at McDonald's on Roswell Road, paying for the food with a $100 bill. She said the employee took the bill that she said was legit, and must have swapped it for a counterfeit $100 bill. The employee then told the manager the [victim] paid with a counterfeit bill and the bill was confiscated. She believes the employee swapped it out and pocketed the bill.
• 1125 Hammond Drive, 30328, 4/22: A 29-year-old man reported his bicycle was stolen from the parking deck of his residence. The bike was locked.
• 8450 Roswell Road, 30350, 4/22: A 73-year-old woman said her son recently purchased some purple bed sheets for her and at some point, she believes a caretaker stole them.
• 355 Hammond Drive, 30328, 4/22: A 73-year-old woman said someone took $150 cash from her wallet that was on the bed at the In-Town Suites.
• 4628 Stella Drive, 30342, 4/23: AC units were stolen from a home under renovation or construction.
• 8610 Roswell Road, 30350, 4/24: A 52-year-old woman said she was eating lunch at Minas Emporium and at one point left her table — and her pocketbook unattended. She returned and found her purse and contents gone.
• 6690 Roswell Road, 30328, 4/25 (LA Fitness): theft from locker, $500 cash. Capt. Steve Rose says: I hate it for you dude by why would you leave that much cash in a locker and especially in a place known for thefts?
• 8331 Roswell Road, 30350, 4/26: Around 1 p.m., officers met with a woman at the Kroger who told them her cell phone was stolen. It was later tracked to 9401 Roberts Drive. She contacted her provider and suspended service.
• 5100 block of Lake Forrest Drive, 30328, 4/26: Two Lennox AC units were stolen from a construction site.
• 7360 Roswell Road, 30350, 4/28: A car dealer (Gravity Auto Sales) reported several license plates were stolen.

Thefts From Vehicles

• 1000 Johnson Ferry Road (x6), 30342, 4/22: Various items taken
• 8001 Roswell Road, 30350, 4/23: Garmin GPS and $200 cash, necklace
• 805 Mt. Vernon Hwy, 30328, 4/23: Purse and contents
• 1425 Indian Trail, 30327, 4/24: Purse and contents
• 290 Hilderbrand Drive, 30328, 4/24: HP Laptop
• Prospect Place, 30328, 4/26: Tires and rims
• 5673 Roswell Road, 30328, 4/26: iPod
• 22 Abernathy Road, 30328, 4/27: Purse and contents
• 5442 Interstate North Pkwy (x2), 30328, 4/28: Purse and contents, gym bag
• 5551 Interstate North Pkw,y 30328, 4/28: Perps did not make entry

Fraud

• 6350 Peachtree Dunwoody Road, 30328, 4/22: Costco employees reported a man came in and bought $1,546 in booze, then paid with an American Express card. They were told later the card was stolen.

Other Things

• A woman reported that she was at a deli and noticed a man who positioned himself close to her, then bent over and placed his phone on the ground at such an angle as to view up her dress. He did the same thing moments later, several more times. The officer pulled the video showing a male with an orange shirt reading “Complex Means Quality on the back. He is a white male, 25-30 years old. The video shows an obvious attempt to snap a photo of the under-regions of the victim. Here’s where he screwed up: He bought a Monster energy drink with a check card assigned to an account number that the officer obtained. He will soon receive a call.

Arrests

• 1050 Hammond Drive, 30328, 4/23: An officer, while conducting a business check just after 11 p.m., ran a tag on a car showing the owner was wanted in Gwinnett County for fraud. He located the driver who initially refused to give her ID. After realizing he wasn’t going away, the driver provided the proper ID and was later arrested her after the warrant was confirmed.
• GA-400, 30328, 4/24: An officer spotted a car driving erratically on the road at Hammond Dr. The car entered GA-400 north. The officer ran the tag showing that a tag was not assigned to the car (Yes, the tag said the car has no tag). The driving got worse, the officer stopped the car driven by a white male. He walked up to the car at which time the car and presumably driver, sped away. The driver continued north to Northridge where he exited and then turned onto Roberts Drive where he abandoned the car, still running, in an office parking lot. Other units, including K-9 arrived and began a perimeter search, later locating the man in the bushes near 8601 Dunwoody Place. The suspect’s car had syringes and evidence of heroin inside. The man refused commands to show his hands so the duties of the arrests were transferred to the K-9 who secured the suspect. The suspect told officers that he had just swallowed cocaine and heroin but believed that while fleeing on foot, vomited them up. The suspect had several existing warrants including felony possession of amphetamines from Georgia Tech police, domestic violence from DeKalb police and felony theft, possession of cocaine, simple battery, false statements to police and obstruction from Fulton Sheriff’s Department. Added to that are Sandy Springs police charges of felony possession of heroin, operating a car with a suspended license for failing to appear in court, speeding, reckless driving, felony fleeing and attempting to elude and obstruction.
• 227 Sandy Springs Place, 30328, 4/26: Around 2:30 a.m. and officer checked a van in the parking lot. The officer noted the car was occupied by a woman and what appeared to be a number of cats. The officer noted a significant smell of cat urine and feces coming from the van. The passenger said she and her mother came to the store to buy water. He asked about the cats and she said they worked with a local vet on displacement issues with cats. The officer doubted the story given the strong smell. The GCIC check of the woman showed she was wanted in DeKalb for cruelty to animals. The woman said that she was not homeless but it appeared she was. There was no one inside the store related to her. The cats were taken by animal control, the van impounded and the woman was arrested.
• 6280 Peachtree Dunwoody Road, 30328, 4/26: Around 2 p.m., officers responded to the Microtel Inn and Suites regarding a person screaming. They went to the room and spoke with a man who said his girlfriend was the screamer. She said she was having a panic attack but declined medical treatment. There was nothing to show that a crime had been committed but the man who answered the door, when checked on GCIC, showed to be wanted in Cobb County for aggravated assault. He was arrested.
• 5930 Roswell Road, 30328, 4/28: Employees at Whole Foods call the police after observing a woman take meat and place it in her purse, then attempt to leave without paying. She said she forgot to pay for it. The woman showed signs of intoxication. She told the officers she was going to remove her handcuffs, threatened to vomit unless they immediately took her to Roswell, and swore at passing onlookers from her seat in the back of the patrol car. She was arrested.
• 6120 PDR, 30328, 4/28: Just after 3 a.m. cops were checking the hotels due to previous thefts from autos. While in the parking lot of the Hilton, an officer came across a car with three occupants in the parking lot. All three, females, were told why the officer was checking the area and asked for ID. One woman gave her name but had no ID. GCIC had no record of the woman. She then decided she would not give her name (never a good idea) and so the officer then checked her prints on the mobile scanner, returning the information giving the officer her correct name. She was then arrested for false representation to police.

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Image via Sandy Springs police