East Cobb Crime & Fire

Cobb Police issue ‘fake cop’ alert for suspect in Terrell Mill Road rape

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The Cobb Police Department says a man impersonating a police officer pulled over a female motorist on Terrell Mill Road early Friday and sexually assaulted her. Cobb Police

According to a release issued by Cobb Police on Friday evening, the victim said she stopped her car on Terrell Mill Road near Paper Mill Road around 4:45 a.m. Friday after being pursued by what she thought was a police officer.

Instead, police said, she was raped by a male who told her he was a police officer and asked for her driver’s license. He began patting her down for her ID, then groped and sexually assaulted her as she sat in her seat, according to police.

Police said the suspect stopped and let her leave the scene, but he was not an officer. Police said they were unsure what kind of vehicle he was driving, but it had a light bar on top, similar to a police car.

The suspect is described as a white man, around six feet tall with an average build. He is approximately 30 years old and is unshaven with short, dark brown hair worn in a buzz cut and has a square-shaped head.

Police said he was wearing a dark jacket with a light blue emblem or something inscribed on it, a black vest with a star-shaped gold blade and three service bars. He also was wearing dark pants, a tan collared uniform shirt with a gold emblem and a white t-shirt under the uniform shirt. Police said this does not fit the uniform description of any Cobb law enforcement agency.

Police said the suspect also was wearing a police duty belt with a gun, Taser and radio.

Cobb Police are asking the public to observe to the following practices when pulled over for a traffic stop:

  • Pull over in a public area;
  • Find a well-lit area so the officer can see the motorist and vice-versa. Turn on hazard lights, slow down, and find the best location available to pull over;
  • Motorists do not have to roll their windows all the way down in order to speak to an officer or give an officer their driver’s licenses and proof of insurance (but the license and proof of insurance are required to be handed over if an officer asks for them);
  • Motorists can call 911 and make sure they are being pulled over by an actual officer (if  they are unsure due to darkness or the car not being easily recognized as a marked patrol vehicle) while driving slowly with hazard lights on;
  • If motorists suspect an individual is not an actual officer, they can call 911 immediately and provide a location and a description of the suspect and suspect vehicle if visible. Stay on the phone with the 911 operator until an officer arrives to assist.

Anyone with information about the Terrell Mill Road incident should call the Cobb Police Crimes Against Persons Unit at 770-499-3945.

 

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Chaotic Delk Road traffic stop leads to high-speed chase with a muddy demise

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Delk Road traffic stop, Marietta Police
Three men were arrested in a muddy area off Delk Road Thursday morning after eluding authorities following a traffic stop. (Marietta Police photo)

An early-morning Delk Road traffic stop Thursday became a rather eventful incident for Marietta Police Officer Bobby Wallace.

According to police, Wallace pulled over a white Fusion with three male occupants around 7:30 a.m. at the intersection of Delk and Franklin Gateway. When he approached the vehicle and asked the driver to step out, he smelled marijuana.

Wallace also sensed “odd” body language from the driver as he summoned backup help, according to police. When the additional officer arrived, the driver jumped back inside the car, and the officers tried to remove him, police said.

At that point, police said, Wallace ended up in the Fusion with the three suspects, who had trapped him inside and fled the scene, leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase. The other officer, Sgt. Brian Honea, had been knocked down in the chaos.

After weaving through rush-hour traffic, the Fusion ended up in the mud about a mile away from the stop, racing as fast as 71 mph at one point, according to Marietta Police, who said the suspects “wrestled” with the officer during the chase.

According to police, Wallace was able to close a car door during the ordeal to avoid falling out.

One of suspects got out of the car before the chase ended and was arrested on foot with the help of a K-9 team, according to police.

Marietta Police said they got help from Cobb Police and the Georgia State Patrol in apprehending the suspects, who are all from Massachusetts. They are identified as Cory Moody, the driver, and passengers Eyzaiya Moody and Walter Gadson Jr.

Formal charges against them are pending, but in addition to the initial traffic charges they are expected to include assault, obstruction, fleeing and eluding, kidnaping, and a felon in possession of a firearm. They were being booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center late Thursday afternoon, according to the Cobb Sheriff’s Office.

Police said the officers were not injured, and that handguns thrown out of the car during the chase also were recovered.

 

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Members of the ‘Ghostface Gangsters’ face federal, state charges

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Ghostface Gangsters, Cobb Police
Cobb Police Chief Mike Register speaks about the Ghostface Gangster indictments, with U.S. Attorney Byung Pak at far right.

Cobb County Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta announced Tuesday that 23 members of the “Ghostface Gangsters” criminal ring have been indicted on racketeering and other federal, state and local charges, including attempted murder, drug trafficking and wire fraud, as well as attacks on law enforcement.

A 21-count federal grand jury indictment against 23 defendants issued on Feb. 8 was revealed at Cobb Police headquarters in Marietta. Cobb and federal authorities say the Ghostface Gangsters originated in the Cobb County Jail in 2000 and their ranks grew in other state jails and prisons to include several thousand members over the years.

Nine members of the gang were charged with racketeering. Twenty defendants were already in custody when the indictments were announced, and several are from Cobb County.

The wide-ranging criminal activity the defendants are charged with include kidnapping, drug trafficking, attempted murder, witness tampering and a variety of firearms crimes.

“The recent federal indictments of this dangerous gang demonstrates how effective and important interagency collaboration is between federal, state, and local partners, and also demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement entities at every level to keep the communities across this nation as safe as possible,” Cobb police chief Mike Register said at Tuesday’s press briefing.

The racketeering defendants include Jeffrey Alan Bourassa, 35, of Cobb, a founder of the gang, who also is charged with kidnapping and maiming another gang member, as well as Kevin Scott Sosebee, 27, also of Cobb, charged with the attempted murder of a Cobb police officer.

Sosebee is charged with shooting at a Cobb police officer in December in Mableton after a traffic stop, and then fleeing the scene.

Another defendant, Victor Manuel Dejesus, is charged with a violent carjacking and attempted murder of a motorist in Smyrna in July 2016, and in fleeing that crime is alleged to have shot at a Cobb deputy sheriff who was in pursuit.

“The Ghostface Gangsters gang is very violent and their members will not hesitate to shoot at anyone,” said Byung J. “BJay” Pak, the U.S. Attorney in Atlanta. “We are partnering with local and state law enforcement agencies, including the Georgia Department of Corrections, to stop this criminal enterprise. If convicted, the defendants will be removed to federal facilities all across the United States.”

In addition to Cobb Police, Marietta Cobb Smyrna/Cobb Anti-Gang Enforcement (CAGE), the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, the Marietta Police Department and the Cobb District Attorney’s Office have been involved in the investigation, along with law enforcement agencies in north Georgia and Tennessee.

 

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Former East Cobb wrestling coach sentenced in Pa. for sexual abuse

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A former East Cobb wrestling coach who volunteered with the Pope youth program has been sentenced to a long prison term in Pennsylvania for sexually assaulting young boys he once coached, according to news reports there.

Ron Gorman, 52, will serve 20-40 years, according to WNEP-TV. He pleaded guilty in November in Monroe County, Pa., to two counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child.

According to Monroe County prosecutors, Gorman also was required to enter a guilty plea in Georgia as part of his plea deal in Pennsylvania.

Ron Gorman, former Pope wrestling coach
Ron Gorman after he was taken into custody in Monroe County, Pa., in March 2017.

The district attorney’s office said the crimes in Pennsylvania began in 2006 in the East Stroudsburg area, where Gorman lived and coached.

He moved to the Marietta area in 2009, and was a volunteer coach with Pope Junior Wrestling, which feeds into the Pope High School program, one of the best in Georgia and a winner of several state championships. Gorman later was a coach at Life University before he was charged in Pennsylvania.

According to the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, Gorman’s victims, now 20, accused him of a long series of abuse beginning when they were 10 years old and while they were involved in a youth wrestling program where Gorman was a volunteer coach.

Gorman was arrested at his East Cobb home in March 2017 and eventually was charged by Pennsylvania authorities with a total of 513 counts, including child rape and statutory sexual assault.

After being detained in Pennsylvania, he was held on $1 million bail. His accusers claimed Gorman subjected them to frequent and continuous assaults, sometimes on a weekly basis, for several years, including in Georgia.

News reports last March and earlier this month quoted a Cobb woman who said she became concerned about Gorman in 2011 when he she saw a crude, sexually themed Facebook message sent by him to her son, then 12, and a member of the Pope junior wrestling program.

She told the AJC she went to then-Pope principal Rick Beaulieu, whom she said told her not to go to police.

Gorman eventually was investigated in Georgia, and that probe alerted authorities in Pennsylvania, according to WFMZ-TV in Allentown, Pa.

Gorman also has been accused of other molestations in Monroe County that were reported to police there in the late 1980s, but they could not be prosecuted due to a statute of limitations, the district attorney said.

The district attorney’s office also said at the time of Gorman’s guilty plea that he will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

 

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East Cobb crime statistics: Car break-ins, thefts on rise since 2012

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East Cobb crime statistics
Cobb Police Precinct 4 officers say parking lots at gyms and fitness centers remain among the leading venues for car break-ins. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)

Before doing a deep dive into East Cobb crime statistics, a Cobb Police captain reminded local business leaders this week of a simple preventive measure that’s not being taken enough to address a spike in one of the community’s recurring crime issues.

“People aren’t locking their doors.”

Not just their car doors, but also garage doors and residential entrances, leading to easy opportunities for burglary, theft and other offenses, according to Capt. Everett Cebula, the deputy commander of Precinct 4 in East Cobb.

On Tuesday, Cebula told attendees at an East Cobb Business Association breakfast that car break-ins—referred to on crime reports as “entering auto”—have gone up quite a bit in Precinct 4 since 2012, in residential communities, commercial areas and public venues like parks.

In 2012, there were 392 reported car break-ins in Precinct 4. That number jumped to 597 in 2016 and fell slightly slightly last year to 567 (see table at bottom).

Cebula said gym and fitness center parking lots are prime territory for thieves looking to plunder goods from vehicles, since patrons often leave valuables inside the car and in open view while they’re working out.

In a refrain to messages police routinely give during the holiday shopping season, he urged gym-goers to secure items even before they pull up into the parking lot.

“Take those items and put them in the trunk before you go into the gym,” he said.

Thefts also have gone up in Precinct 4 in the 2012-2017 reporting period. Burglaries—both residential and non-residential—also have gradually dropped since 2012, and more violent crimes, such as murder, rape, aggravated assault and robbery, are fairly low in East Cobb compared to the rest of the county.

East Cobb crime statistics, Precinct 4
From left, Cobb Precinct 4 Capt. Everett Cebula, Lt. Brian Kitchens and Maj. Brian Batterton, the incoming commander. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)

One measure police have been taking in recent years to crack down on car break-ins is the use of racketeering laws. That’s because they’ve noticed that these incidents are more frequently connected to larger criminal rings, or repeated activity by solo criminals.

If police can establish a criminal enterprise, they can go outside the county and track down break-in suspects and bring their activity into one case.

Lt. Brian Kitchens, the head of Precinct 4’s criminal investigations, said that last summer his unit was able to use what’s known as the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations law—or RICO—to pull together more than a dozen cases for landscaping theft. The suspect in those incidents, he said, is still in jail.

He said “RICO goes a step further” and enables the judicial system to toughen punishments for repeated crimes.

He said another suspect was getting probation for car break-ins committed in various jurisdictions, but the use of RICO revealed that he had 55 such arrests, and a few more cases have been added. That suspect, Kitchens said, was offered a 20-year sentence, with 13 to serve.

Kitchens, who headed up the creation of a car break-in task force by Cobb Police in 2015, said RICO can be used to address other crimes.

He said police are getting more reports of break-ins at businesses like eyeglass stores, women’s clothing boutiques and specialty shops.

“We can expand this to protecting your business,” Kitchens told the ECBA attendees.

The table below has been compiled from Cobb Police data. The first figure in each box is for Precinct 4, and figures in parenthesis are from all of Cobb County.

Precinct 4 includes most of East Cobb, ranging from the eastern side of Canton Road to the Windy Hill Road area in the Powers Ferry corridor.

Part 1 crimes are the most serious and violent offenses against people and property, according to federal Uniform Crime Reports guidelines. They include homicide, rape, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, theft, auto theft and arson.

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Part 1 Crimes 1306 (8800) 1335 (8506) 1196 (8261) 1245 (8695) 1281 (8615) 1264 (8204)
Crimes Against Persons 78 (581) 59 (526) 72 (535) 102 (658) 99 (718) 74 (638)
Crimes Against Property 1228 (8219) 1276 (7980) 1124 (7726) 1143 (8037) 1182 (7897) 1190 (7566)
Homicide 2 (14) 4 (20) 3 (16) 3 (17) 2 (17) 2 (24)
Rape 19 (142) 14 (114) 16 (108) 23 (140) 21 (132) 20 (137)
Robbery 39 (405) 31 (409) 43 (392) 50 (428) 40 (449) 35 (397)
Agg. Assault 57 (425) 41 (392) 53 (411) 76 (501) 76 (569) 52 (480)
Res. Burglary 325 (2334) 365 (1992) 237 (1708) 209 (1694) 240 (1438) 226 (1176)
Non-Res. Burglary 127 (733) 113 (652) 105 (692) 118 (732) 87 (764) 90 (685)
Entering Auto 392 (2512) 422 (2723) 477 (3059) 279 (4062) 597 (3864) 567 (4070)
Theft 647 (3950) 665 (4100) 652 (3992) 659 (4216) 696 (4276) 730 (4359)
Vehicle Theft 90 (797) 102 (827) 87 (942) 107 967) 119 (970) 109 (949)

 

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Powers Ferry Road fast food restaurant robbed Sunday night

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Jimmy Johns, 1337 Powers Ferry Road

Cobb Police say a man robbed a Powers Ferry Road fast food restaurant Sunday night, right before closing time.

The suspect is a black male, and Cobb Police said he entered the Jimmy Johns sandwich shop at 1337 Powers Ferry Road around 9:30 p.m., demanding money from a clerk.

That restaurant is located across from Brumby Elementary School, and between Delk Road and Terrell Mill Road.

The suspect left the store with cash, according to police, who don’t have any more of a description other than he had a black pistol.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call Cobb Police at 770-499-3945.

 

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Police arrest alleged gang members following Bells Ferry Road robberies, shooting

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Circle K Bells Ferry Raod
The Circle K location at 1760 Bells Ferry Road. (Marietta Police photo)

Three men have been arrested by Marietta Police after two Bells Ferry Road robberies and a shooting and stabbing incident during an apparent drug deal last week.

Police said Thursday that Anthony Dishawn McCuen, 19, and Antonio Williams, 43, have been charged with with aggravated assault with intent to murder.

Demarquez Simmons, 19, and McCuen have also been charged with two counts of armed robbery each for alleged incidents on Jan. 10 at a Circle K convenience store at 1760 Bells Ferry Road.

Marietta Police allege that Simmons and McCuen are members of the Gangster Disciples gang, and they have also been charged with violating the Criminal Street Gang Act.

According to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records, McCuen and Simmons reside in Northeast Cobb, on Fairington Drive and Bristol Lane, respectively. Both in custody at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center. Williams is from Marietta, police said.

Police said they received reports of gunfire around 8:30 p.m. last Wednesday, Jan. 10, near Bells Ferry Road and Williams Drive, which is near the Circle K. Investigators said a dispute broke out near the Circle K parking lot about a narcotics purchase in which Williams allegedly stabbed McCuen.

According to police, McCuen ran after Williams and shot him several times. Police said Williams is recovering but did not detail his injuries.

Simmons was also involved in the dispute, according to police, who said he initially provided a false identification.

Police said two hand guns were located near the original crime scene, which prompted them to expand their investigation. According to police, McCuen and Simmons also had committed two armed robberies at the same Circle K earlier that day, in the morning.

The investigation also led to stolen items in Simmons’ possession, according to police, who said they are connected to a vehicle break-in on the previous day, Tuesday, Jan. 9.

McCuen also faces charges of firing a weapon near a street, possession of a firearm while committing a crime and theft by receiving.

Simmons is also charged with giving a false name and date of birth, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, obstruction of an investigation, two counts of possessing a firearm during the commission of a crime and is wanted for a probation violation.

Marietta Police are continuing the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Braxton at 770-794-5380.

 

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Cobb Police release photos of Powers Ferry-Terrell Mill bank robbery suspect

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SunTrust robbery suspect

The suspect wanted for the recent robbery of a SunTrust bank at Powers Ferry and Terrell Mill roads has been identified via surveillance camera.

Cobb Police have released photographs of the man they believe held up the SunTrust branch at 1380 Powers Ferry Road on Dec. 20 (previous East Cobb News post here) as he approached a teller demanding cash.

The suspect left with the money but there has not been a description of the vehicle.

Police describe the suspect as a black male, 20-25 years old, 175-180 pounds, and was last seen wearing a black baseball hat, camouflaged hoodie, black jacket and blue jeans. Police also have said the same suspect may have robbed a South Cobb motel earlier this month.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call Cobb Police at 770-499-3945 or provide an anonymous tip at Greater Atlanta Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477).

 

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SunTrust Bank robbed at Powers Ferry Road and Terrell Mill Road

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SunTrust Bank, 1380 Powers Ferry Road

Cobb Police are searching for a man whom they say robbed a SunTrust Bank Wednesday at Terrell Mill Road and Powers Ferry Road.

The incident happened around 11:20 a.m. Wednesday at the SunTrust branch at 1380 Powers Ferry Road, located near the Terrell Mill Village Shopping Center.

Police say a black male entered the bank and handed a teller a note demanding cash, which he received, and that he left on foot.

There was no vehicle description, but Cobb Police further identified the suspect as being between 20-25 years old and weighing 175-180 pounds. Police said he last seen wearing a black baseball hat, a camouflaged hoodie a black jacket and blue jeans.

Police are asking anyone with information to call 770-499-3945.

 

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East Cobb bank robbery suspect wanted by FBI in serial robbery investigation

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East Cobb bank robbery, Regions Bank Roswell Road
Surveillance photos of the robbery suspect at the Regions Bank, 2486 Roswell Road, on Dec. 7. 

Following up the story about a bank robbery we posted last week during the midst of winter storm: The suspect in that incident at the Regions Bank on Roswell Road is wanted by the FBI for other robberies in metro Atlanta.

On Tuesday, the Atlanta field office of the FBI issued an alert asking for the public’s help in capturing the suspect whom they believe is responsible for five bank robberies since September. The FBI refers to him as the “Zombie Hat Bandit” due to the details of the hat he has worn during the robberies.

The inscription reads “Walking Dead-Beware I Bite” and the FBI believes the man who robbed the East Cobb bank is the same person shown below in a surveillance photo from another incident.

East Cobb bank robbery suspect

Last Thursday’s robbery in East Cobb is believed to be the last of those robberies, according to the FBI, which released information about the other robberies it is investigating:

  • Sept. 6, at 12:39 p.m., Regions Bank, 2419 Cheshire Bridge Road, Atlanta. Suspect left in in a black Toyota Corolla (2014 to 2016);
  • Sept. 22, 2:23 p.m., Regions Bank, 6637 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. Wearing same outfit as in Sept. 6 robbery;
  • Oct. 16, Regions Bank, 6503 North Point Parkway, Alpharetta, Georgia. Same clothing as in September robberies;
  • Dec. 5, 11:45 a.m., Bank of America, 8755 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs.

The East Cobb Regions Bank branch robbed last week also was robbed during a serial robbery spree in 2016 that resulted in a 25-year prison sentence for a Marietta man.

The FBI further describes the suspect in this fall’s robberies as a black male, mid-to-late 30s with a medium build. He has some facial hair and wears a large black wrist watch and shirts that have the “Punisher” logo. He also has been described as occasionally carrying a small zippered bag.

The FBI asks anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, which offers a reward, and callers can remain anonymous.

 

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East Cobb bank robbery suspect sought after Regions Bank heist

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East Cobb bank robbery, Regions Bank Roswell Road
Cobb Police released surveillance photos of the robbery suspect at the Regions Bank, 2486 Roswell Road. 

Cobb Police are looking for a suspect in an East Cobb bank robbery Thursday afternoon.

They released surveillance camera photos of a man whom they say approached a teller at the Regions Bank, 2486 Roswell Road, around 1:30 p.m. Thursday, and issued a note demanding money.

The suspect received undisclosed cash and left on foot, according to police. They described the suspect as a black male, 5-foot-5 or 5-foot-6, between 25-30 years of age, and with a thin build.

He is bald with a goatee and was wearing a “Punisher” t-shirt with dark pants and dark shoes and a black ball cap with the words “Beware I Bite” on the front, according to the police description.

Police are asking anyone with information to call 770-499-3945.

Anonymous tippers can receive a reward of up to $2,000 by contacting the Greater Atlanta Crime Stoppers organization at 404-577-TIPS (8477).

Tipsters can also text tip information to Crime Stoppers by typing “CRIMES” (274637).

The Regions Bank branch robbed Thursday was also hit by a serial bank robber who was tried and convicted for robbing several East Cobb and metro Atlanta banks in 2016. A 52-year-old Marietta man, Kevin Ray Williamson, was sentenced to 25 years in prison in June.

 

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East Cobb senior living home worker indicted for death of resident

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Sunrise at East Cobb, East Cobb senior living home

A Cobb County grand jury has returned murder and other indictments against a Powder Springs man charged with the death of a resident of an East Cobb senior living home.

Landon Jean Pierre Terrel was arrested in August after Adam Bennett, 91, died after being found badly beaten at the Sunrise of East Cobb facility (1551 Johnson Ferry Road.)

According to media reports, Bennett suffered broken ribs, a lacerated kidney and a punctured lung. He died after being taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital, and Terrel was later charged with felony murder and aggravated battery.

The indictments against Terrel, which were posted late last week by the Cobb District Attorney’s Office, include felony murder, elder neglect and elder abuse.

Terrell is being held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.

Other East Cobb-related indictments from last week include the following:

  • David Sutton Meredith, of Autumn Leaves Lane, 4 counts of child molestation and aggravated child molestation (held without bond);
  • John Joseph Geng Jr., of Water Wheel Court, 2 counts of methamphetamine or amphetamine trafficking, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (held without bond).

 

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East Cobb woman shot and killed by police after making threats

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East Cobb woman shot by police
Cobb Police blocked access to Robin Hood Lane after an officer-involved shooting of a woman who later died. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)

Cobb Police said Tuesday afternoon that three officers shot a woman at her East Cobb home after she threatened them while they responded to a suicide call.

The woman, whom police said made an “overt action” with a handgun toward the officers, was transported to WellStar Kennestone Hospital and later died.

Cobb Police spokesman Sgt. Dana Pierce said the woman’s name has not been released and that an investigation will be conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is customary in an officer-involved shooting.

Pierce said the Cobb emergency communications center received a 911 call at 12:22 p.m. Tuesday for a home on Robin Hood Place, located off Hood Road and near Roswell Road. He said the call was due to suicide threats.

Four officers arrived at the home and found a 32-year-old woman inside, according to Pierce.

He said the woman left through the front door and returned inside, “and at one point made an overt action” with a handgun, threatening the officers. Three of the four officers then shot her, Pierce said.

The officers were not injured, and Pierce would not elaborate on the woman’s threatening action, saying that’s part of the GBI investigation.

Pierce said the woman’s three-year-old daughter was unharmed, and was with a family member at the time of the incident.

Pierce said this was not the first time police have been called to the home for similar reasons. “We have been at this residence before,” he said. “There’s a history here.”

He didn’t immediately have the dates of those previous incidents.

There was a heavy police presence on Robin Hood Lane.

Pierce said that in addition to the GBI, the Cobb internal affairs division is also investigating the shooting.

 

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Roswell Road graffiti suspect charged for East Marietta vandalism incidents

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Roswell Road graffiti suspect, Marietta Police
A Roswell Road graffiti suspect wanted for damaging several East Marietta businesses has been charged with 15 felonies by Marietta Police. (Photos courtesy Marietta Police)

A Roswell Road graffiti suspect police say vandalized several East Marietta businesses and public properties has been charged with 15 felonies.

According to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records, William Carswell, age 17 or 18, of Fawn Place in East Cobb, was arrested and booked into at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center on Oct. 5. He was released Oct. 8 on a $15,000 bond.

Of the felony charges against Carswell, 14 are for interference with government property and another for second degree criminal property damage, as well as a single misdemeanor count of criminal trespass.

Marietta Police allege the suspect carved the window of the Beats Barber Shop at 1476 Roswell Road on Sept. 19 with the lettering “WUSHU” and later spray-painted an ice machine the same way at a business at 1462 Roswell Road, in the East Marietta Shopping Center.

Police said as their investigation continued, and they strung together video evidence, “footage from several locations showed a young male tagging several locations in the Cobb County area.”

Those locations included bridges in the area, according to police.

Police said Carswell has a previous arrest history with similar charges of interference with government property, criminal trespass and criminal property damage.

Marietta Police said it has contacted other nearby law enforcement agencies about possible vandalism incidents that may be connected to Carswell as it continues its investigation.

“Graffiti may not seem to rank up there with violent crime, yet in terms of Community Policing, graffiti is exactly the kind of environmental crime that causes neighborhoods and business areas to deteriorate,” Marietta Police said in a statement. “If the police can reverse the environmental conditions that cause more serious social conditions and crime, we can prevent crime and promote public safety.”

 

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Shoplifting suspect nabbed in East Marietta after fleeing police

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Marietta Police said Tuesday they apprehended a suspect wanted for a shoplifting incident in Cherokee County and who dragged a police officer there outside a retail store.Marietta Police

Amy Ridge, of Marietta, was arrested Wednesday afternoon near Barnes Mill Road and Merritt Road, according to Marietta Police.

Woodstock Police said Ridge has been charged with aggravated assault on an officer, shoplifting, fleeing and attempting to elude and other charges, and is in the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center.

Police said they received a call Wednesday afternoon of a shoplifting at a Kohl’s store in Woodstock. According to police, the suspect was in her car when an officer approached. He was hit by a car door as she fled and was treated on the scene for minor injuries, according to police.

East Marietta adult store robbery suspect arrested; another at-large

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Elations, East Marietta adult story robbery

Marietta Police said Friday afternoon they have charged a man wanted in an East Marietta adult store robbery last month, and are searching for another suspect.

Willie Demetrics Shaw, 25, of Acworth, was being held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, police said. He’s been charged with two counts of felony armed robbery for the Aug. 24 hold-up of the Elations adult entertainment store, located at 1424 Roswell Road.

Marietta Police said Shaw was taken into custody Tuesday in Austell, and was apprehended with assistance from the Cobb Anti-Gang Enforcement unit. Police also said they obtained video surveillance photos from surrounding businesses during the investigation.

The second suspect, who was not identified, was outside of Elations when the robbery took place, police said. Anyone with information is asking to contact Marietta Police Det. Sheffield at 770-794-5345.

Two men sentenced in Northeast Cobb drug trafficking case

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Two Cobb County men arrested last spring in a Northeast Cobb drug trafficking case that also included major weapons charges have been sentenced to prison.

Kyle Nixon, 26, was given an eight-year sentence, followed by five years of supervised release. Eric Gamez, 27, was sentenced to nine years and five months, with five years of supervised release.

The sentences were announced Monday by the Cobb District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta. Northeast Cobb drug trafficking case, Kyle Nixon, Eric Gamez

Nixon and Gamez were arrested April 6, 2016 following a joint investigation by the Marietta/Cobb/Smyrna Organized Crime Unit and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

A search warrant was executed at Nixon’s residence on Sanford Drive in Northeast Cobb, where authorities found 400 grams of cocaine and more 300 grams of heroin, which authorities believe they intended to sell.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, more than $13,000 in cash and 19 firearms, including an AK-47 rifle, also were discovered at the home.

The men tried to flee the residence, but were taken into custody at the scene, according to police. Nixon pleaded guilty in April 2017 and was sentenced in July. Gamez pleaded guilty in February and his sentence was handed down Sept. 14, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“These defendants were distributing cocaine and heroin while protecting their drug business with an arsenal of firearms,” Atlanta U. S. Attorney John Horn said in a statement. “Their actions disregarded the safety of our community, but swift action by law enforcement kept them from causing further harm.”

UPDATE: East Cobb bank robbery suspect arrested following Crime Stoppers tip

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The man wanted for an East Cobb bank robbery last week has been arrested, with assistance from a tip via the Greater Atlanta Crime Stoppers tip line.

Cobb Police spokesman Sgt. Dana Pierce said Eduardo Estrada, 35, of East Point, has been charged with robbery by intimidation in connection with a holdup at the Fifth Third Bank branch at 2100 Roswell Road last Thursday. Crime Stoppers

Estrada was booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center late Wednesday and remains in custody on a $7,500 bond, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records.

At around 10 a.m. last Thursday, Cobb Police said a man walked up to a teller at the bank branch, located in a Kroger store at the Pavilions at East Lake Shopping Center and demanded money. According to police, he did not reveal a weapon but left on foot with cash, possibly heading toward Wheeler High School.

Wheeler and East Cobb Middle School were on a brief lockdown as the suspect was being pursued.

Pierce said the tipster could be eligible for a $2,000 reward for assistance in the robbery investigation. Crime Stoppers can be contacted with tips at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or by texting CSA + your tip to CRIMES (274637). Tipsters remain anonymous.

East Cobb bank robbery prompts lockdown of Wheeler High, East Cobb Middle School

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Fifth Third Bank Kroger Roswell Road, East Cobb bank robbery
Surveillance photos provided by Cobb Police Department.

An East Cobb bank robbery Thursday morning resulted in the short lockdown of two nearby schools as police pursued a suspect.

According to the Cobb County School District, the exterior doors to Wheeler High School and East Cobb Middle School were locked for about 15 minutes after Cobb Police began investigating the robbery at the Fifth Third Bank location inside a Kroger supermarket at 2100 Roswell Road.

The schools are located across the street from one another on Holt Road and 1.3 miles from the Kroger at the Pavilions at East Lake Shopping Center at Roswell and Robinson roads.

Police said the robbery took place shortly after 10 a.m., when a man walked into the bank and demanded money from a teller.

According to police, the suspect never showed a weapon and left the bank with cash on foot, through the shopping center parking lot, and possibly in the direction of Wheeler.

The suspect remained at large late Thursday afternoon. According to a CCSD statement, the lockdown was “done out of an abundance of caution” at the request of Cobb Police.

“There was never any threat at either school and both schools continued with instruction as normal,” the CCSD statement continued. “Student and staff movement within the building was never restricted.”

Cobb Police described the suspect as an Asian male, around six feet tall, with a husky build. He’s believed to be between 30-40 years old, and was last seen wearing a black hoodie, a black Washington Nationals baseball cap and jeans.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call Cobb Police at 770-499-3945.

New Cobb police chief responds to officer incidents, vows to change training, community policing methods

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Mike Register, Cobb Police Chief
“We’re having some challenges,” Cobb Police Chief Mike Register told the East Cobb Civic Association Wednesday. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)

Mike Register brought several pages of prepared remarks to Wednesday’s East Cobb Civic Association meeting as he aimed to lay out his vision as the newly named Cobb Police Chief.

After detailing his long career in the military and his return to the Cobb PD after serving as Clayton County Police Chief, real-time matters intervened to punctuate Register’s desire to make significant changes in the way officers are trained and how they deal with the public.

An hour before Register’s ECCA address at the East Cobb Library, WSB-TV reported that Lt. Greg Abbott, a 28-year Cobb PD veteran, had been placed on administrative leave after a dash-cam video revealed him making racially charged remarks to a female passenger riding in a car pulled over on a traffic stop in July 2016.

According to what was heard on the video, the white woman reached for her cell phone as Abbott approached, making a reference to police shootings. He said to her: “Remember, we only kill black people. We only kill black people, right?”

In the WSB-TV report, Abbott’s attorney said the officer’s comments were not taken in their proper context, claiming he was trying to defuse the situation.

Register, who succeeded retired chief John Houser in June, told the ECCA gathering that the officer’s comments were “hurtful,” and were “inappropriate in any context and not indicative of the values we’re trying to instill in the Cobb Police Department.”

At one point during his ECCA appearance, Register was summoned out of the room for a few minutes by County Manager Rob Hosack.

UPDATED, 4 p.m. Thursday: At a news conference on Thursday, Register and other county officials said Abbott would be terminated, adding that “it’s not the kind of decision we make lightly.”

On Tuesday, Cobb Police had to respond a WSB-TV report, based on a body-cam video, of an officer shooting at an unarmed teen eight times last November. That officer had already announced his resignation, and the Cobb District Attorney’s office recommended no charges.

Register said the video of that incident prompted him to call for changes in the Cobb PD regarding use of force and firearms training (The suspect’s lawyer is planning a lawsuit, according to the WSB-TV report).

After the second incident, Register admitted in his ECCA remarks that “we’re having some challenges.”

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