Sandy Springs Blotter: Police Investigate Several Gym Thefts

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 Dec. 24-29:

Robbery

• 215 Northwood Drive, 30342, Dec. 29: Cops responded to a robbery just before 1 a.m. The victim said he was walking with a group of friends on Northwood after being dropped off by a taxi. He said he was walking slower than his friends and at one point a white Honda pulled up and two black males got out and pulled a gun on him. They forced him to the ground, took his wallet and fled. The story soon changed to read that the group of friends were behind him and walked towards another direction. The other oddity was the location he was dropped off. He was let out at 120 Northwood and walked down the road to 215. He couldn’t explain that point. The report noted that the victim was visibly intoxicated. He did suffer some minor lacerations to the face but declined medical assistance.

Burglary

• 400 block of Pickering Lane, 30342, Dec. 24: The resident reported they had just purchased a backpack leaf blower that was subsequently stolen from the garage. The resident said while making breakfast, she heard a loud noise from the garage area and saw a white male getting into a black passenger car that left quickly onto Mt. Paran Road. She believes the car was a Nissan. The white male appeared to be in his 20’s, average build with dark hair.
• 200 block of Bainbridge Drive, 30342, Dec. 25: From Dec. 8-25, the resident said someone burglarized the residence by forcing a door. Although it appears access was gained, nothing was taken.
• 8404 Roswell Road, 30350, Dec. 26: The victim said his apartment was damaged by water following a fire. He was displaced for a time during repairs. He said someone illegally entered his apartment while it was off limits to the resident. Several items were stolen from the damaged apartment.
• 4300 block of Northside Drive, 30327, Dec. 28: From Dec. 22-28, the resident said someone entered his residence, currently under construction, and took two 2-ton high efficiency furnaces made by Carrier.
• 1000 block of Huntcliff, 30350, Dec. 29: The business owner said someone entered the business without force, and went through the register. Several keys were moved around but nothing was taken.
• 290 Winding River Drive, 30350, Dec. 29: The resident said some important papers were taken from her residence. She said they must have been taken Dec. 28 between 11 and 5.

Thefts

• 1000 Johnson Ferry Road, 30342, Dec. 24: A 44-year old employee of Northside Hospital reported that she left her purse on the desk at the end of a hallway near the nurse’s station. Later, she discovered the purse was missing. Several charges were unsuccessfully attempted at an undetermined Target Store for $106 and $530 each.
• A man walked into the BP at 8763 Roswell Road and paid for just over six dollars in gas. He went out and actually pumped over $41 in gas. The clerk asked him to pay the balance. He drove off.
• 8000 block of Roswell Road, 30350, Dec. 26: A man hired another man to drive a truck to deliver some items to a specific location. The man never made it to the location and was unaccounted for for 24 hours. He finally contacted the man via cellphone and was given a location where he dropped the truck off. The victim reported the GPS was missing from the truck when he recovered it.
• Comcast contacted the police to report that some equipment, located in a box some fifty feet up a pole, had been tampered with and pieces stolen.
  
• 1130 Spalding Drive, 30350, Dec. 26: The complainant is doing work on the Woodland Elementary School. He reported that construction equipment, called hot welders, were taken.
• 5956 Roswell Road, 30328, Dec. 26: A 29-year old man reported that his cellphone was stolen from his locker at the Knuckle Up Fitness gym sometime between 5:30 and 6:30 pm. The phone was in his gym bag on top of the locker. Oddly enough, $100 in cash, also in the bag, was untouched.
• 7736 Spalding Drive, 30350, Dec. 27: The manager of the Publix said a black male in his fifties, about six feet tall and about two-hundred and ten pounds, took $184 in meats and other items and walked out without paying. The manager went outside and confronted the man who bolted but left behind the food items.
• Roasters, 6225 Roswell Road, 30328, Dec. 27: Around 6:15 p.m. an employee reported that a woman described as a heavy set black female, black jacket and jeans, ordered food and attempted to pay with an invalid gift card. The offender left and refused to stop when confronted.
• LA Fitness, 6690 Roswell Road, 30328, Dec. 27: A 24-year old woman said she left her vehicle remote and house keys inside an unlocked locker while working out at the gym. Although the items were stolen, it appears her car was not entered.
• LA Fitness, 6690 Roswell Road, 30328, Dec. 28: The victim said someone got into his locked gym locker and took his gym bag and keys. He then found his car had been entered and his money taken from his wallet. Missing is clothing worth $200, Nokia Lumia Cellphone, red lifting gloves, and $100 cash.
• LA Fitness, 1155 Mt. Vernon Hwy, 30328, Dec. 28: A 17-year old man reported that while he was playing basketball, someone entered his gymbag courtside and took his iPhone 6 from the bag.
• LA Fitness, 6690 Roswell Road, 30328, Dec. 28: A 32-year old woman reported someone took her black jacket and car keys from her unlocked locker in the women’s locker room.
• A 46-year old woman said she dropped off two packages at Staples, 5560 Roswell Road, to be shipped to AT&T. They contained two iPhones she was returning. Five days later, AT&T said they had not received them. She discovered that neither package had been scanned when dropped off at Staples and are nowhere to be found.
• 6000 block of Roswell Road, 30328, Dec. 29: A 27-year old woman said she gave a man, whom she knew, $1,200 cash to buy a car at auction. She said the man worked for Quality Auto Solution at 2759 Delk Road in Marietta. He called her later and said he purchased the car but wanted to keep it and give it to his mother. He would send her $2,200. He never sent the money. She tried calling and reported that she has received some threatening calls from Mr. Gibb’s associates. The officer checked Gibbs and found there were three warrants outstanding on him.
• 1041 Brentwood Way, 30350, Dec. 29: An employee of Peking North Chinese Restaurant delivered $42 in food to an apartment. He knocked and a young black male answered. The man took the food and slammed the door shut, refusing to pay. The driver called the police. The officer walked to the back of the apartment where he found the door open. The apartment was vacant.

Thefts From Vehicles

• 125 Northwood Drive, 30342, Dec. 24
• 1155 Mt. Vernon Hwy, 30328, Dec. 24
• 6345 Powers Ferry Road, 30339, Dec. 24
  
• 5501 Glenridge Drive, 30342, Dec. 24
  
• 7741 Roswell Road (x2), 30350, Dec. 26
  
• 1400 block of Huntingdon Chase, 30350, Dec. 27
• 100 block of Wedgewood Way, 30350, Dec. 27
• 1200 block of Vicksburg Place, 30350, Dec. 27
• 1200 block of Gettysburg Place, 30350, Dec. 27
• 3400 block of Treelodge Pkwy, 30350, Dec. 27
• 2001 Summit Place, 30350, Dec. 28
  
• 8730 Roswell Road, 39350, Dec. 29
• 1000 block of Brentwood Way, 30350, Dec. 29

Fraud

• Someone opened an account with Chase Bank in the name of the 24-year old victim. The person opening the account used an address on McDaniel Street in Atlanta. No illegal activity was found on the account —meaning they caught it in time.
• A 41-year old man reported that he purchased a 2003 Chevy Tahoe through eBay Motors for the price of $1,500. He purchased the vehicle by using 3 MoneyPak Cards for $500 each. The car was to be shipped in 3 to 5 days. It was never sent. The victim, who lives in West Virginia, checked with eBay Motors who confirmed that the money was not received. He doesn’t know if or not the seller received the money and otherwise has no idea where it is. Capt. Steve Rose with Sandy Springs police says: Long distance sales carry the risk of fraud. You really, really need to do a good bit of research before committing your money. For instance, this 2003 Tahoe was listed for $1,500. That alone should be a red flare. If the price is too good to be true, it probably is. Without going into the specifics on the car, I pulled up the CarMax “No Haggle” price on a 2003 Tahoe LT and LS. They were $12,998 and $12,599 respectively. A long way from $1,500. If the seller thought $1,500 was a fair price, he’s either woefully uninformed or “they’s somethin’ up.” That is a bad bet. There are plenty of cars around to be bought and sold. I’d stay local if possible. Eye to eye and make it a cash sale after a mechanic checks it out.
• A 49-year old man reported that he used a service called Click4Support to fix his computer. He later received a call from someone claiming to represent the company and who said they accidentally overcharged him and that they owed him $199. He was told it would be credited to his checking account. Later, he received another call saying they accidently credited him too much by $500 and needed $301 returned to them. Before checking the account, he obtained a MoneyGram for $301 and sent it to a Click4Support employee named Elizabeth Vallen in India. Of course, later when he checked with the bank, they told him $500 was never credited to his bank account. He was able to cancel the MoneyGram card which really upset the crook on the other end who called and said they would empty his bank account and zap his computer if he didn’t pay up. He blocked the calls and changed his bank account numbers. Rose says: Fortunate ending for the guy who didn’t lose any money, but after the transaction is NOT the time to check the validity of the transaction. Remember to be politely skeptical — even if to yourself and check EVERYTHING out especially when dealing remotely.
• A 40-year old woman reported that she was contacted by Credit One (credit card) and told she had a past due balance of $28. She was notified by another company called Fingerhut Corporation that a past due balance of $487. She had not opened any accounts with either company. The company reps gave her the name of the person on the account which happened to be her sister. She said she is looking for but has not been able to contact her.

Assault

• Domestic violence calls were answered at: 6851 Roswell Road on Dec. 24; 4717 Roswell Road on Dec. 24; 7000 Roswell Road on Dec. 24; 8165 Roswell Road on Dec. 24; 8701 Dunwoody Place on Dec. 25; 4735 Roswell Road on Dec. 25; and 8725 Roswell Road on Dec. 27.
• Tony’s Sports Bar 8610 Roswell Road, 30350, Dec. 27: A 20-year old man reported that he was inside Tony’s Sports Bar and around 2 a.m, got into an altercation with a man who calls himself “Billions.” He said he was cleaning up a mess near the man’s table when “Billions” grabbed him, choked him, and said “I will f---- kill you!” The owner and manager broke it up. The victim went home and was advised by his mother to call the police. Asked why he didn’t call from the scene, he said Tony, the owner, did not want the police at the business. The victim said he knew the suspect only as “Billions” and believes he works at the barber shop near the Northridge Kroger.
• A 24-year old woman said that about four months ago, she was introduced to a man named Kenny by a friend of hers. Kenny said he had been in prison, but “had turned his life around.” The new and improved Kenny told her that he could get her a loan for $6,200 through “E-Loan.” She then gave him her personal information for a $231 MoneyPak Card, according to her, to show she had income. Kenny cashed the MoneyPak Card and Kenny is nowhere to be found. She said she thinks that Kenny may not be his real name.

Other Things

• Cedar Run, 30350, Dec. 26: A woman reported that her 22-year old son was married to a woman who, according to the complainant, is also legally married to a man in Ohio. Her son and the woman were involved in a domestic violence situation that resulted in her son going to jail. She did some research and found no record of her divorce that she claims to have gotten as a result of domestic violence in her first marriage.

Arrests

• A woman was stopped on a traffic offense and when the officer approached the car, he noticed the smell of marijuana. Asking her about it she responded “I may have some friends in the car who use marijuana.” Which of course immediately threw her friends under the bus. Fortunately for them, they were not in the car — or else her friends were imaginary. The officer cited her for 2.5 grams of weed found in a pill bottle.
• A man came into the police reception area requesting a background check. The background check showed he was wanted for statutory rape. He was arrested.
• 6100 block of Roswell Road, 30328, Dec. 26: Around 2 a.m. officers received a call of a disturbance on Roswell Road. They found a couple who were arguing and found out from the female that her husband was driving in manner, manner being circles, that made her feel unsafe so she demanded he pull over where she exited the truck. He continued attempting to get her back in but she refused. He then attempted to force her back in the truck by grabbing her however it was not successful. He was arrested for Disorderly Conduct under the Influence and she was given a ride home.
• 7875 Roswell Road (Morgan Falls Billiards), 30350, Dec. 27: Cops were called to the location just before 2 a.m. regarding a woman yelling at another. The officer found a white female yelling at a black female outside the club. The woman was yelling that the other woman was a drug dealer. The officers tried to get the woman calmed down however she kept yelling. The officer asked if she had anything to drink. She said she absolutely did not drink at which time the officer detected an odor of alcohol on or about her breath. She refused to speak to the officer citing that she had been “disrespected” which I continue to contend is an improper use of the word “disrespect.” He may have been accused of being disrespectful to her but, well let’s move on. The woman demanded to call 9-1-1 again to shop a new officer to lie to and while doing so, mentioned that she was the Senior VP of PNC Bank and knew Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson personally. She said they would soon march on her behalf! Long story short, she spent too much time in the bar drinking as a non-drinking senior VP and refused to pay for the drinks to boot. She ended up in jail for theft and Simple Battery after she threw a pen at the bartender.
• 125 Northwood Drive, 30342, Dec. 27: Officers were called to an apartment area around 11:15 p.m. after a 9-1-1 caller, female, was heard screaming. They located the woman who said she and a man got into an argument which escalated to a physical confrontation where the man pinned her inside a breezeway and would not let her out. The man was located sleeping in his car, full of empty beer cans. He was later arrested for Underage Consumption, Public Drunkenness, and Simple Battery.
• Costco, 6350 Peachtree Dunwoody Road, 30328, Dec. 28: Store security watched as a man stole an antennae by taking one out of the box and stuffing it with another item he would purchase. After he walked past the registers, he was detained and later charged with shoplifting.

There are many things you and your family can do to deter and prevent thefts and burglaries. For more information, contact crime prevention specialist Sgt. Ron Momon at rmomon@sandyspringsga.gov.