Sandy Springs Blotter: Officers Probe Apartment Burglaries

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Editor’s note: the following incidents were taken from the Sandy Springs Police Department’s weekly Wrap Up, which contains some — not all — of the incidents that occurred Feb. 28-March 3:

Robbery

• A 19-year-old man reported that on March 1, around 1 pm, he was at Spalding Drive and Spalding Springs Court, on foot. He said that he seen an older man, in a car, who stopped to ask directions. Later, as he walked, he saw the same man standing outside his car. The man, described as white, 40-50 years old, with salt and pepper hair, wearing a short sleeve Polo shirt and jeans, pulled a Glock and forced the victim to hand over his wallet. The victim said he lived off Roswell Road but the address he gave is actually off Dunwoody Place. He then told the officer that he remembered that his phone had been taken too. He gave the officer the cell number and the woman who answered, said she has had this number and phone for ten years.

Burglary

• 1900 block of Summit Springs Drive, 30350, March 2: The victim said the front door to her apartment was kicked in. Several items were taken.
• 2000 block of Summit Springs Drive, 30350, March 2: Same scenario. Missing is a hand gun.
• Cedar Run, 30350, March 2: Someone door-kicked in the front door to the victim’s apartment. Missing is a laptop.
• 300 block of Summer Terrace Lane, 30350, March 3: Someone kicked in the front door to the apartment. TV and other items were taken. Witnesses said they saw an old beat up truck near the location at the time of the burglary.
• 800 block of Summer Crossing, 30350, March 3: The victim’s front door had been forced open and inside he found that his flat-screen TV and iPad were gone.
• 500 block of Huntcliff Village Ct., 30350, March 3: Someone forced the front door of the victim’s apartment and entered. Several items were taken.
• 600 block of Marsh Trail Ct., 30350, March 3: Someone pried the front door to the victim’s apartment and took a laptop and some other items.
• 400 block of Northside Drive, 30339, March 4: A home, under construction, was entered by opening the garage door and forcing a door leading from there into the house. Nothing reported missing at the time.
• 6800 block of Peachtree Dunwoody Road, 30328 March 4: It appears that someone tried to gain, but did not, entry to the apartment.
• Cliftwood Drive, 30328, March 4: A side door was forced open and a TV, computer, change, bags and shoes were taken.

Thefts

• 5900 block of Roswell Road, 30328, Feb. 28: A 53-year-old woman said she left her Armani prescription sunglasses inside a store and once she discovered her mistake, returned to find that they were gone.
• 6445 Roswell Road (Waffle House), 30328, Feb. 28: A server reported that just after 1 a.m., four young males ate a meal. Three of them got up and walked out. The fourth was asked if he was paying. He said, “I don’t know, I’ll go ask.” He, of course, got into a car and with the others, drove away in a car. The tag number was obtained and it’s being investigated.
• 8300 block of Roswell Road, 30350, March 2: A woman gave her roommate a check for $452 for half the rent. She later asked for the check back, giving her a money order instead. The roommate said she would tear the checkup. She found out later the original check was cashed.
• 2090 Dunwoody Club Drive, 30350, March 2: A man walked into the Rhapsody Liquor Store around 3 p.m.. He took a bottle of whiskey, put it down his pants and left. It was not noticed at the time of the theft. The manager noticed it days later while reviewing video. A man ran up a $26 bill at Hudson Grille and left without paying and apparently stuck the bill with someone else at the table — who, in turn, gladly provided the perp’s name and phone number, and even her nickname.
• 6690 Roswell Road, 30328, March 4: Someone cut the lock on the locker at LA Fitness and took the victim’s wallet and credit cards, personal ID, $20 cash, HTC cellphone, keys. [LA Fitness does not place video cameras at the entrance/exits of their gym locations although based on the number of victims from there, they should.

Thefts From Vehicles

• 6500 block Roswell Rd, 30328, Feb. 28: iPad
• 5800 block of Glenridge Dr., 30342, Feb. 28: Catalytic Converter-Honda Element
• 6345 Powers Ferry Road, 30339, Feb. 28: Catalytic Converter-Truck
• 1200 block of Jefferson Drive, 30350, March 1: $60 cash (ex-boyfriend)
• Parkgate Drive, 30350, March 1: Suspect (black male, 25-30 gray hoodie)
• 1100 block of Hightower Trail, 30350, March 2: Stolen items not listed on face sheet
• 5925 Roswell Road, 30328, March 2: iPad 2, Samsung Note 3 cellphone
• 800 block of Hammond Drive, 30328, March 3: Nothing taken
• 1100 block of Hightower Trail, 30350, March 3: Nothing taken
• 6300 block Roswell Road, 30328, March 3: iPad, two laptops, ext hard drive and more
• 200 block of Hilderbrand Drive, 30328, March: Microphones taken
• 200 block of Sandy Springs Circle, 30328, March 4: REI book bag
• 5600 Roswell Road, 30342, March 5: Two Toshiba laptops one Surface Pro LT
• 6300 block of Roswell Road, 30328, March 5: Medication stolen
• 6615 Roswell Road, 30328, March 5: Backpack and Lenovo laptop
• 1155 Mt. Vernon Hwy, 30328, March 5: briefcase

Fraud

• A 22-year old woman said she responded to an ad on Craigslist from someone named Joseph Ruiz for a condo rental in Miami, on Collins Avenue, during spring break week and for the price of $720. She was forwarded a contract and she put those funds into the account number per the contract. The ad was then cancelled and she cannot locate Ruiz. She contacted the property manager in Miami who confirmed that the property was not for rent and did not know Ruiz. The account were the money ended up was to a woman in Scottsdale, AZ. Capt. Steve Rose with Sandy Springs Police Department says: A good point here is do this BEFORE sending the funds: “She contacted the property manager in Miami who confirmed that the property was not for rent and did not know Ruiz.”
• Here is a copy of a mailer received by one of our friends. It’s the “Secret Shopper” scam. The address on the label comes out to a small shopping strip in Mesa, AZ. Looks good with that check for $1,984.63 up there for you doesn’t it? Anytime, repeat, ANYTIME you get this stuff unsolicited, beware. Use the Internet. Call the bank. Check the address on Google Earth. You’ll see red flags all over the place.
• 6000 block of PDR: A 42-year old woman reported that she signed up with “Volition Shoppers” to be a mystery shopper and evaluate services of the businesses. She received a check for $2,870 and deposited it into her account. Following the instructions, she wired, via Western Union, $2,400 to the receiver listed, being Irwin Fernandez, in Rio Grande, PR. Once she received confirmation that he had the money, she found out the original check was fake. She actually received three more checks asking for the same thing. Volition, which is a legit company according to their website, does list the fraud information and states: Volition.com is a legitimate website with many awards and was honored by a major publication who listed us as the place to go to find out about fraud sites. You will never be asked to pay or send money on our behalf. If you are being asked to pay money or receive a cashier’s check or any similar financial transaction, it is not from Volition.com. If a request comes your way seemingly from Volition.com, take no action and be aware it is a scam. Call your local authorities and state attorney general’s office.

Assault

• 6690 Roswell Road, 30328, Feb. 28: A manager of Nori Nori Restaurant said that he discovered one of the employees drinking beer while on duty and confronted him. The man told the manager he could kill him if he wanted, then spit in the manager’s face, then his shoe, then grabbed him by the collar and pushed him several time. The case is pending prosecution by the victim.
• Roswell Road and Dunwoody Place, 30350, March 2: A man said he was riding his bike west on Dunwoody Place around 4 p.m. He told the officer a VW Passat with an Alabama plate was honking at him although the car had plenty of room to go around. The car continued to honk until finally passing him. At that time, the passenger, described as “a very large individual” threw a beer can at him, hitting him on the bike helmet but not injuring him. The passengers was described only as a [very large] black male.

Other Things

• A man passed a counterfeit twenty-dollar bill at McDonalds and so the police were called. The man said he didn’t know it was counterfeit and is paid mostly in cash. The bill was taken and placed into evidence. The man was released. Why was the man released? Most of the time when they know they’re passing fake bills, and when the jig is up, they take off. This guy stayed around to talk to the police.
• A 29-year-old man reported that a woman, “who has a romantic interest in him,” won’t stop calling him and now has shown up at his job.
• A man reported that he is going through a divorce and his wife has his passport and won’t give it back.
• On March 3, an officer pulled into the QT on Roswell Road in a marked police car. When he pulled up to the pumps, he was nose-to-nose with a Honda Civic. The officer got out and was pumping gas when he noticed the man standing next to the Civic was staring at him. He decided that this was suspicious so he looked back and saw another man, sitting in the driver’s seat, licking the finished marijuana joint. That man looked up and then tried his best to become invisible. It didn’t work. The joint was confiscated as was a bit more weed in a pill bottle, (not medicinal) and the man was cited for disorderly conduct, which is a possession of a small amount.

Arrests

• 6075 Roswell Road 30328, March 2: A man was cited at 3 a.m. for urinating in the parking lot near the Taboo 2 bar.
• 6575 Roswell Road (Steak and Shake), 30328, March 2: Cops received a disorderly-person call just after 4 a.m. There, they were told a man was throwing chairs at an employee — missing him, but damaging a neon sign and other items in the store. The man, who was intoxicated, was walking from the scene but officers located him. He was checked and found to be on probation violation in Cobb County. He was arrested for that and the damage he caused at the restaurant.
• 6350 PDR, 30328, March 4: Costco security staff observed a woman take a bottle of Gemstone wine, hide it and some magazines in her purse, and then she attempted to leave. She admitted taking a bottle of Moet and Chandon Imperial earlier in the day. That bottle was located in the trunk of the car. She was arrested.

Photo credit: Sandy Springs Police