Sandy Springs Blotter: Police Arrest Metro PCS Armed Robbery Suspect

Photo credit: Sandy Springs police

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 Jan. 23-29:

Robbery

• On Jan. 28, the Metro PCS store at 5690 Roswell Road was robbed around 3 p.m. by two suspects. One pulled a gun, robbed the three victims, and the pair then fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. The officers arrived and locked the store down and began speaking with the three victims. While doing so, the victims looked outside the store at a man trying enter. They told the officer the man was one of the two who robbed them. The man was standing at the door. The cops asked the victims if they were sure and they said most definitely “yes.” The officer then walked to the door and opened it for the man, and then yanked him in and cuffed him. The suspect, Eriberto Estrada, was later charged with armed robbery. The other suspect is being sought.

Burglary

• Summer Terrace Lane, 30342, Jan. 26: The victim said sometime between midnight and 6 a.m., someone forced a living room window and came into the apartment. Taken was her Galaxy phone, $40 cash and credit cards and keys to the car, a black Nissan Altima. The victim was asleep in her bedroom at the time.
• 225 Franklin Road, 30342, Jan. 26: The resident manager of Avistele at Andalusia Apartments said the gym area of the complex was entered at around 6:40 p.m. by a man who was described as a black male, light skin, wearing a blue hooded sweat shirt. The man tried to gain access to a closed hallway, but could not get through the hall door. The man then, for some reason, pooped into a trash can, stole two dumbbells and left.
• 5385 Peachtree Dunwoody Road, 30342, Jan. 26: Between 10:45 a.m. and 5:20 p.m., the resident said he returned home and found a front door to his apartment forced open. Several items were taken.
• 5300 block of Peachtree Dunwoody Road, 30342, Jan. 23: Between 9 a.m. and 7:18 p.m., the resident said she returned home and found her front door damaged and forced open. Several items were taken.
• 800 Mt. Vernon Hwy, 30328, Jan. 27: A medical office was burglarized sometime between 8 p.m. and 9 a.m. (27th.) Several cabinets were forced open and it appears several laptops were taken.
• 200 block of North Mill Road, 30328, Jan. 27: Between 7 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. someone stole a backpack leaf blower by Husquvama from the garage. The victim said they entered through an open side door that was broken at the time.
• 755 Mt. Vernon Hwy, 30328, Jan. 27: The complainant said someone accessed an office overnight and stole a computer and a small amount of petty cash. No forced entry was found.
• 500 block of North River Pkwy, 30358, Jan. 28: A maintenance room of the Carlyle at Sandy Springs Apartments was broken into. Missing are two pressure washers, Dewalt Drill and three backpack blowers.
• 6000 block of Gables Lane, 30350, Jan. 28: The resident said she was gone from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. During that time, someone forced entry to the apartment and took a Dell and Apple iPad laptop.
• 700 block of Brook Place, 30328, Jan. 28: A builder said four AC units were taken from a home that is currently not occupied.
• Two burglaries were reported in the 700 block of Jefferson Drive (30350) on January 29. Both sites were entered by force while the residents were away. Time frames were from 6:30 a.m. to just after 7 pm.

Thefts

• 4600 Roswell Rd, 30342, Jan. 26: The complainant said a construction trailer was entered and several pieces of construction equipment were taken.
• 5920 Roswell Road, 30328, Jan. 26: An employee of Jump Start Gym said a woman came in and took four bottles of water and then left.
• 5000 block of High Point Road, 30342, Jan. 26: A woman reported that on Jan. 6 between 8 a.m. and noon, someone stole jewelry from her home. On that day, four employees of a cleaning service was at the residence.
• Comcast Company reported on the 26th that a couple of cable amplifiers had been stolen from Dunvegan Close and Ball Mill Place.
• 6690 Roswell Road, 30328, Jan. 29: The 47-year-old male victim said someone stole his gym bag with personal belongings from his locker at the LA Fitness while he was in the shower.
• A man on Spalding Lane called the cops on Jan. 29 to report the following: He bought a pool table just over two years ago and asked his friend if he could keep it at his house until he found a place that was big enough to hold it. About eight months ago, he contacted the friend to obtain the table. The friend said that would be fine and to call and arrange a time and date. Since that time, the friend has not returned calls or otherwise been available for contact.

Theft From Vehicles

• 5450 Interstate North Pkwy, 30328, Jan. 26
  
• 8911 Roswell Road, 30350, Jan. 26
  
• 300 block of Morgans Landing Drive, 30350, Jan. 27
• 6300 Powers Ferry Road, 30328, Jan. 28
  
• 1000 Abernathy Road, 30328, Jan. 29
  
• 2400 block of Huntingdon Chase, 30328, Jan. 29

Fraud

• A 57-year-old woman said she participated in an online survey and was told that check for $2,480.99. She was to keep $200 and send the rest, via MoneyPak Card, in $500 increments, to a separate address. After doing so, she found the check was fraudulent. The person on the other end was Allen Jacobs, a name you may recall from previous similar scams.
• An 84-year-old man reported that someone altered his Verizon account, upgrading the service several levels.
• A 46-year-old woman reported that a SunTrust box of checks were delivered to her home but someone intercepted and stole them.
• A 75-year-old man reported that a box of checks were stolen after being delivered to his home. One of the checks was later used for $375 in an attempt to cash it at the SunTrust Bank, inside a store in East Lake. An alert teller questioned the suspect who fled but left a photo copy of her license.
• A 53-year-old man reported that he accidentally sent over $2,400 to the wrong person. The funds were to go to pay a bill to someone else. He contacted the person and informed him of the mistake and to send the money back. The person said he would and then ceased all contact. No refund has been received.
• A 25-year-old man reported he received a call from a Chevrolet dealer employee who said they were looking into his credit. He told them he wasn’t looking for a car. During the conversation, the employee said the address was listed as one located in Hiram, which happens to be the address of an ex-girlfriend. He contacted the ex’s other ex-boyfriend who confirmed that was the address for the ex-girlfriend. The victim said that he was told by the other ex that she, and her new boyfriend were using other ID’s for fraudulent credit card and other credit means.

Assault

• 6075 Roswell Road, 30328, Jan. 27: Cops were called to the Upper Cuts Barber Shop and spoke with a man who said he reported to work but was told by the owner that he couldn’t work because he did not have his barber’s license yet. The complainant said he had finished his apprentice work and had applied for his license but did not yet have it. The owner said he couldn’t work without a license and doing so would jeopardize the business. This caused an argument and eventually a physical confrontation between the barber and almost barber. A picture frame was damaged. Neither man was charged and the apprentice was told by the barber that he was through and not to return.
• 6260 Peachtree Dunwoody Road, 30328, Jan. 27: An employee of La Quinta said her manager spoke with her about her register being short by twenty dollars. She accused the manager who, according to the complainant, grabbed her arm and pushed her out of the office. The manager said she spoke to the complainant regarding the shortage and the complainant became loud and disruptive. The employee (complainant) was fired. Capt. Steve Rose with Sandy Springs police says: The complainant was frustrated with the officer and accused him of trying to keep her license. She said she was not convinced he was an officer although he was standing next to his marked police vehicle, in uniform, and handing her a business card.

Other Things

• A fake SWAT call was made to an address on Elden Drive this past week. The caller said four men had broken into the home (home invasion) while the residents were asleep. The call turned out to be a hoax.

Arrests

• Detectives, working with the Milton Police Department, began searching for a woman who lives in Sandy Springs who told Milton police that she had killed her boyfriend and would soon kill herself. She lived in the 8100 block of Colquitt Road. Following an all-day investigation, they located the woman and boyfriend alive and well. She told detectives that she caught her boyfriend cheating on her. She was charged with false report of a crime.
• A 26-year-old woman from the 8000 block of Roswell Road was arrested by SIU (Specialized Investigation Unit) detectives following a Jan. 4 burglary at her apartment. Responding officers found evidence of narcotics including methamphetamine and chemicals, scales, and other items consistent with manufacturing and distributing illegal drugs.
• SIU detectives and members of the Atlanta HIDTA Unit arrested a 27-year-old man from Norcross. He was arrested during a narcotics transaction attempt at 8767 Roswell Road. He was in possession of methamphetamine totaling just under 2.8 pounds of meth. He was also wanted in DeKalb County for failure to appear on an unrelated charge.
• A 27-year-old man from Alton, Illinois, was arrested after receiving marijuana in the mail at the post office on Glenridge Drive. The U.S. Postal Inspection Office, assisted by SSPD K-9 Units, monitored Hickman who took the package containing marijuana, and then drove to the area of Lake Placid Drive, and then to 5920 Roswell Road. He was followed by units who then stopped Hickman’s car where he was taken into custody. The K-9 alerted on the marijuana contained in five plastic bags located in a bag. The car was held for future seizure.
• A 15-year-old juvenile from North Cliff Valley Way in Brookhaven was arrested on Jan. 19 at Windsor Parkway and Roswell Road following a traffic stop. The SCU officer ran the tag and found that the car was stolen on Jan. 17 in Brookhaven. The juvenile said he was 16 years old with a birthdate of 1994, which would have made him 20 years old. He altered the date of birth several times before officers determined his age to be 15. He was charged with theft by receiving and taken to Youth Detention in Atlanta.
• A 29-year-old man from Picklesimer Road in Cumming was arrested on Jan. 22 after SCU (Street Crimes Unit) detectives saw a car, sitting, occupied in a known drug area on Long Beach Circle. The suspect’s car drove away, followed by the police unit. The officer initiated a traffic stop; however, the car then fled from him. The officer pursued for a short time but terminated the pursuit. Approximately 25 minutes later, the officer spotted a male walking along Roberts Drive at around 12:30 a.m. He was detained and later determined to have been in the car. He said he was with a female “who was on the run.” She was later found in the car at the Highland Park Vista Apartments on Northridge. Inside the car was a .38 revolver, syringes, and a plastic bag containing pills. The man had an outstanding warrant in Forsyth County and a suspended license. He was taken to jail. The female did not have any outstanding warrants and was not arrested.