Capt. Steve Rose of the Sandy Springs Police Department provided the following information from the department’s records. The following incidents and arrests represent some, but not all, of the reports filed with Sandy Springs police between May 19 and May 31.
Robbery
An 18-year-old said he was robbed at gunpoint by three men he knew from North Springs High School. The robbery occurred about 3 p.m. within an apartment complex on Trowbridge Road. The teen’s iPhone 6 and Canon T-6 camera were stolen. The victim said he had arranged, through Instagram, to do a photo shoot with another student. As the victim began taking photos, one of the suspects pulled a gun and demanded the phone and passcode. The three then “calmly” walked away. The victim knew two of the suspects as “Kyle” and “Antwon,” but did not know the gunman’s identity.
Burglary
4600 block of Roswell Road — Sometime between 5 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. the following morning, someone entered a beauty salon by forcing a rear window.
200 block of Summerset Lane – On May 20, the resident said someone attempted to punch the door lock to gain entrance to the home. It appears they were not able to get in.
8600 block of Roberts Drive — On May 20, an employee at an apartment complex reported that just before midnight, he was notified by the alarm company that there was movement inside a maintenance shed. He later found that the shed had been forcefully entered and coolant was missing.
900 block of Cimarron Parkway — On May 21 a 28-year-old resident reported that sometime between noon on May 20 and 1 a.m. the following morning, someone forced entry to her apartment. A Toshiba laptop, Apple computer and two bags of clothing were missing.
6000 block of Weatherly Drive — On May 22, a neighbor called police after finding broken glass on the garage door of the home whose owner was out of town. Glass on the door to the house was broken as well, but the officers could not determine whether or not someone entered. The resident was notified by phone.
4700 block of Brinkley Lane — On May 23, the resident said someone came into the home sometime between 4 p.m. on May 18, and 5:30 p.m. on May 23. A front door was forced open. A Bravia TV, two Sony speakers, Dell laptop and jewelry are missing.
5800 block of Hilderbrand Drive — On May 24, the resident said he was gone between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. During that time, someone forced a back door open and took two televisions, 47-inch and 60-inch Samsung models. Jewelry, cas, and an iPad also were missing.
5400 block of Glenridge Drive — Between 7 p.m. on May 25 and 4 p.m. on May 26, the victim was away from home. Upon returning, she noticed pry marks on the front door. The victim has two roommates, all of whom were out of town. Among items reported missing were a MacBook, a hookah bong, 50-inch TV and a 48-inch TV.
1600 block of Jefferson Drive — On May 29, a resident of an apartment complex said she left at 10 p.m. and returned home just after midnight. She found her front door partially open and items removed from the home, including an X-Box and laptop.
900 block of Preston Woods Trail — On May 30, a resident said he left home between 6 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Upon his return, he discovered his front door had been forced open. A PlayStation 4 and a Samsung TV are missing.
600 block of Mount Vernon Highway — On May 30, the resident said between 5 a.m. and 3 p.m., someone came into the home and took three TV’s, a jewelry box containing jewelry, and a 2002 Jaguar XK8.
7100 block of Glenridge Drive — On May 31, the resident said between 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., someone entered the residence through a back door, removing several items of jewelry. The resident could not recall if the door was or was not locked at the time.
Theft
A 36-year old man said he returned jewelry that he bought, valued at $6,000, to another man who has not refunded the money per the agreement. Letters of demand have been ignored and so the matter will be considered theft by conversion. This was a long-distance purchase.
5580 Roswell Road — On May 19, a 44-year old woman said her juvenile son was playing basketball and placed his personal items near courtside. Someone stole the items, including a pair of Beats headphones.
5580 Roswell Road — On May 21, A 34-year old man said his locker was entered and $200 cash taken. The report did not state if or not the locker was locked. Another man reported a theft of his iPhone while he was playing basketball sometime between 9 p.m. and 11:30 pm.
2200 block of Jefferson Drive — On May 23, a 2017 Audi A4, stolen from Philadelphia, was located parked in front of an apartment building. The hit was via LoJack. The car was unoccupied and later impounded.
100 block of Concourse Parkway — On May 27, a 2017 Nissan Altima was stolen from a hotel. The car was a rental.
5900 block of Roswell Road — On May 24, a 59-year-old woman reported that she was shopping at a grocery store around 3 p.m. when she discovered that her wallet was missing from her purse. A short time later, a woman, described as in her sixties, tried to get a $2,500 cash advance from SunTrust Bank on the victim’s Visa card. The attempt was rejected. The same woman then attempted a $3,000 cash advance on the victim’s account. The bank employees smelled a rat and rejected it, causing the woman to exit the bank on foot north on Roswell Road.
A cabbie reported that on May 24, about 11:30 p.m., his fare jumped out without paying the $21 fare and ran away. The man had been picked up in Cobb at the Braves game. Another officer spotted a man who matched the description who was walking on Heards Ferry Drive. He spoke to the man who admitted being in the taxi. He told the officer that he originally used Uber but the driver cancelled on him, so he asked a cabbie if he would take him for the same fare as the Uber would charge him. According to the man, the driver agreed. Along the way, the driver reneged, so the man absconded from the van. The officer asked the man if he offered to pay the fare. The man replied, “That’s a good question,” but did not answer. He was later charged with theft of services.
On May 25, around 2 a.m. a moped was stolen from Brentwood Way. The owner said four men in a grey two-door truck pulled in front of his apartment, put the Moped in the truck and then fled.
Trowbridge Road — On May 25, two golf carts were taken from the leasing office. One was later recovered and found vandalized at 7700 block of Roswell Road. It had been spray-painted and had a damaged wheel.
1100 block of Hammond Drive — On May 25, someone stole the victim’s 2012 BMW 328I sometime during the daytime.
5500 block of Roswell Road — The week of May 26, three thefts were reported at a gym, one from courtside in the gym, when a phone was stolen during a basketball game. Two thefts were reported on May 21 when lockers were broken into. One man lost $200.
5500 block of Roswell Road — On May 27, a man reported that an acquaintance stole $450 and ran out of this apartment.
5900 block of Roswell Road — On May 27, an employee of a computer store reported that a customer stole an iPhone. He said the customer concealed the phone under his iPad and then left the store. The customer was seen on video and is known to the complainant; therefore, warrants should be pending soon.
100 block of Concourse Parkway — On May 29, a 61-year-old woman reported that she was at an event at a hotel and placed her purse down on a table for one hour, between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. When she returned, the purse, her phone and a debit card were gone.
6800 block of Peachtree-Dunwoody Road — On May 29, a 32-year old man said someone cut open and stole a pair of Air Pod Bluetooth headphones from the Amazon box delivered to his home.
5900 block of Roswell Road — On May 29, a man left his wallet inside a store, noticing it five minutes later. He returned to discover that it was gone.
8100 block of Colquitt Road — On May 29, a 2011 Dodge Ram truck was stolen from an apartment building.
7300 block of Roswell Road— On May 31, a man reported that he stopped at the gas station for gas. He entered the store, leaving his car unlocked with the key in the ignition, and …
… guess what happened? Well, here’s what happened: Adios 2006 Nissan 350Z.
We are all victims of the “Not Me” syndrome. We think it happens to everyone else and don’t relate crime on a personal basis until it happens. My scientific testing tells me that removing your keys and locking the door take about five seconds. This poor guy actually walked out of the store in time to see his car going down Roswell Road. Imagine what that felt like. Come on, now, let’s all agree to take our keys out of our cars and lock them!
Thefts from Vehicles
Between May 19 and May 31, there were 23 thefts from vehicles.
Arrests
5900 block of Hilderbrand Drive — On May 19, around 1:30 a.m., an unmarked unit spotted a car, in an area that had seen thefts recently, and occupied by two men. The cops checked them out and found both marijuana and cocaine in the car and on the persons. The two were arrested.
Roswell Road — Employees at a grocery store caught a juvenile female after she stole a sandwich, chips and a drink. She was released to her father and given a criminal trespass warning not to return to the store.
6300 block of Peachtree-Dunwoody Road — On May 19 employees at a home improvement store detained and arrested a man they said stole a DeWalt jigsaw, valued at $149. He was taken to jail for shoplifting.
6000 block Roswell Road —On May 20, a patrol officer spotted a man walking up a parking deck just after midnight. The man had a backpack. This alone is not all that suspicious, but it was in an area of previous thefts from cars, so he checked it out. The man remained in the parking deck, standing around, something that piqued the interest of the officer, so he stopped the man, whom he recognized from past contacts. The man was agitated, yelling and cursing at the officer, and refusing to provide his identification. The man, who was intoxicated, was later charged with loitering and prowling, as well as disorderly conduct.
6300 block of Peachtree-Dunwoody Road — On May 20, employees at a wholesaler watched and then detained a man, who was with his 6-year old son and who, they said, stole a bottle of Bulleit whiskey, stashing it in a freezer tote, then stashed the tote next to his son. He was charged with shoplifting, but on a copy, given that his son was with him.
8700 block of Roswell Road — On May 20, staff at a grocery watched as a woman stole two rib-eye steaks and a cluster of snow crabs, placing each in her purse. She then left without paying. She was detained and later cited and given a court date for the $69 theft.
7000 block of Roswell Road — On May 22, a patrol officer, responding to a suspicious-vehicle call, found the described car in the parking lot of a condominium. Inside the car were a man and woman who appeared to be sleeping. The car was confirmed to have been stolen from Decatur in a car-jacking incident. The two were awakened and secured. They told the officers that they took the car from a gas station across from the Georgia Dome downtown, after a man parked it and left it running while he bought some crack. The pair said they knew the car was stolen. The driver had an active warrant from Baltimore, Md., for motor vehicle theft. He and the passenger were lodged in the Fulton County Jail on theft by receiving charges and the wanted status from Baltimore.
On May 21, cops were called to a shopping center on a shoplifting call. Employees said they watched a man, who was dressed in long pants with a hospital scrub shirt, conceal several bars of soap, some trail mix and a football down his pants. He then walked to the trashcan section and urinated in one of the cans. The suspect then walked to the lamp section and began biting on a lamp cord. He then found a shopping cart and loaded it, then walked out of the store without paying. He was stopped.
The man was intoxicated, telling cops he had two “high-gravity” beers. Due to his condition, an ambulance was called to check him out. He told the staff he did not remember urinating in the can nor loading the cart with $498 in merchandise. He was charged with felony shoplifting and urinating in public. Due to his condition, he was taken to the hospital and cited on the charges with an assigned court date.
The same store also reported a male juvenile took a box of condoms into the bathroom and came out without them. As he walked from the bathroom, the officer approached and asked about the condoms. The juvenile said he flushed them, then said he tossed them in the trash. Right about then, the condoms fell out of his pants. Following the awkward silence, the kid apologized and was detained while cops found a family member to pick him up. He’s charged on a citation.
7100 block of Roswell Road — On May 22, a resident said a man exposed himself to her outside her apartment. Officers located the man, who said he would not show his ID. He was later arrested for public intoxication, criminal trespass, public indecency, and obstruction.
6300 block of Peachtree- Dunwoody Road — On May 23, officers were called to a home improvement store after a man took a blower from the box and left the store without paying for it. He was detained after the store employees caught up to him. He also was accused of placing LED lights under his jacket. He was arrested.
6300 block of Peachtree-Dunwoody Road — On May 23, employees at a wholesaler observed a man leave the store without paying for DVDs that he placed down his pants. He was arrested.
700 Hammond Drive — On May 26, about 2:15 a.m., a patrol officer spotted a car parked at Hammond Park. The car had a Florida tag. Knowing the park closed at midnight, the officer decided he best check it out. Two persons occupied the car, the driver telling him that they were living in the car.
While this was going on, the officer smelled marijuana, so he asked if there was any in the car. The man replied, “No.” The officer then requested they exit the car. The driver initially said he would not, but changed his mind.
He gave the officer a fake name, then got mad and, as the report read: “… he bowed his chest out to me and stomped his feet on the ground while making constant eye contact with me, which I recognized as pre-assault indicators.” As such, the man was detained (he resisted at first) then began screaming at the officers to stop pointing their weapons at him. (No weapons were drawn during this contact.) He was later charged with loitering and prowling as well as violating the park ordinance.
6300 block of Powers Ferry Road — On May 29, around 9 p.m., an officer was called to a hotel concerning a fight that was in progress. On arrival, the officers spoke with a man who, confirmed by hotel staff, was on the short end of a “whoopin’” by five other guys who fled prior to the police arrival.
The victim, who had cuts and bruises, said his name was Brian Jones, confirmed with a Florida license. The officer checked the license, discovering that it was not legit. The man then corrected his name. Fulton County had a warrant on him for failure to appear on two counts of theft by receiving and four counts of drug charges.
During the course of the investigation, the hotel staff said the victim and a girl often stay at the hotel. There was a second girl on the scene during this altercation. The man was arrested for the warrants and some marijuana in his pocket.
8700 block of Roswell Road — On May 26, cops were called to a phone store regarding a person attempting to purchase phones with fraudulent information. The complainant said the suspect was flagged after he attempted this before. This time he attempted to buy two iPhone 7s valued at $1,739 total. Inside the suspect’s car were several other items including an iPad and two Apple watches. The suspect was charged with two counts of ID theft fraud and two of theft by deception. (Also disorderly conduct for the small amount of weed in his car.)
Ga. 400 / Windsor Pkwy — On May 31, just before midnight, cops were called to check on a car on the side of Ga. 400 whose occupants were on the side of the road, dancing. He located the car and the occupants, who had concluded the dance and were sitting near the car. The driver told the officer that car overheated and they pulled over to let it cool off. Unfortunately for the driver, a check of his license showed he was wanted in Gwinnett County for a probation violation. The female passenger had no warrants outstanding, but did have a suspended license, so she could not take possession of the car.
Other Things
A man said he was waiting for a parking space but another car took it. He parked next to that person then knocked on the driver’s window, telling the man that he took his parking spot and he was calling the police. They two had a brief exchange that went nowhere.
OK, first, people are rude. Parking-lot etiquette is nonexistent. Get over it. Secondly, if someone takes your parking spot, it is not a crime, so don’t call the police.
A Starbucks employee reported on May 20 about 7:30 p.m. he was working the drive-through window and took a $6 order from a man who gave him a $20. He filled the order and gave him change for the $20. The man then insisted he gave the employee a $50, to which the employee respectfully disagreed. The man then raised his shirt to reveal a gun. The victim, now intimidated, gave the man the change he demanded. (The cash drawer did not have a $50 bill.) The man left in a four-door grey Toyota, no plate and with body damage.
1500 block of Harbor Pointe Parkway — On May 20th around 9 p.m. cops responded to a complaint regarding a neighbor who kicked her door. She said the neighbor had previously keyed her car and her problems with him were ongoing.
They went to the man’s apartment. He answered the door and began cursing at both officers and slammed the door that would have closed expect for the officer’s boot. They attempted to explain why there were there; however, the man continued to curse and yell.
One of the officers returned to the complainant’s apartment (and here is where this guy screwed up) and the suspect followed, yelling and cursing in the presence of the woman and her two kids, ages 8 and 10 months. The officers arrested the man, who began to kick the door and the window of the car. (The windows have bars over them for bozos like this.)
A serious-injury crash was investigated on May 19, about 11 a.m. The crash occurred on I-285 at Roswell Road. One driver hit another in the rear, causing the second car to lose control. That driver was hospitalized in critical condition. The at-fault driver has been cited. Further charges may be lodged contingent on the recovery of the victim.
8300 block of Roswell Road — On May 19, the complainant said on April 24, someone went through her mailbox as well as her neighbor’s, stealing and later cashing checks valued at $246.
6600 block of Roswell Road — On May 19, A 20-year-old man said he was playing basketball when he was hit in the jaw by an elbow that he contends in the report was done on purpose. The person, whom the elbow belonged to, hastily grabbed his stuff and left. The victim said he found out that his jaw was broken when he went to Northside Hospital.
6800 block of Roswell Road — On May 19, the complainant said someone used his AT&T account to purchase three iPhones and two Apple Watches, valued at over $2,000. The purchase was in Statesboro, Ga. Another fraudulent sale was made on a Samsung Galaxy phone in Jonesboro, according to the victim.
4600 block of Roswell Road — On May 23, an employee of a company said the company computer was infected with a virus, accessing the crooks to over 30 tax accounts that were stolen. He told the officer that over $350,000 in fraudulent tax returns were filed and accepted by the IRS.
1000 block of Cimarron Parkway — On May 19, a 34-year-old man reported someone used his name and information to file taxes in his name.
7000 block of Saddle Ridge Drive — On May 23, a man reported that just after midnight, his dogs were “going crazy” inside the home about something, prompting him to look out the front window. He observed a man hiding in the bushes. He also saw a dark vehicle with the trunk lid open and someone in the driver’s seat.
The resident walked outside and shined a flashlight into the bushes on the suspicious man who, exited the bushes and aggressively and quickly walked towards the resident. The resident ordered the man to stop several times however; the suspicious man ignored the commands and continued. The resident said he then fired two shots into the air from his gun. The man stopped, and then fled on foot. The car also fled.
A 26-year old man said he received a text from Wells Fargo saying there was fraud on his account. The text requested his information be provided on a separate link, which he provided before realizing the text and link were fraudulent.
He quickly contacted Wells Fargo’s Fraud Department, closed his accounts, opened new ones, obtained credit monitoring on the new accounts, and contacted IRS. So far, he has not lost any money.
This guy made the best of a bad situation by immediately contacting the bank and adjusting his accounts and arranging credit monitoring on the new accounts. Beware of unsolicited text messages asking for sensitive info!
On May 24, College Park police informed a manager at a car dealership that one of their cars, which had been stolen, was recovered following a pursuit and arrest. The car was reported stolen by a man named Mr. Walker. The manager recognized the name as a customer but thought the circumstances were odd since the car, by policy, would not have been authorized to be driven off the property and in possession of a customer. Some internal research showed the car was last in the possession of an employee. Long story short, said employee, as it turned out, used the customer’s name to report the car missing.
Needless to say, he is unemployed now.
A 28-year old man said someone used his debit card number to make a $15 purchase at a grocery store on Powers Ferry Road. Later, a second transaction showed on his card, this time from Smyrna.
St. Joseph’s Hospital staff reported that a man who was under a commitment for observation fled the hospital and was last seen running for the MARTA station in his hospital gown.