East Cobb Crime & Fire

UPDATE: Suspect arrested in vandalisms that include Noonday Baptist Church

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Noonday Baptist Church vandalism, Cobb police

UPDATED, July 11, 12 p.m.

Cobb Police said today they have arrested Clint Vance, 32, of Kennesaw, on three charges of vandalism to a place of worship. Those are felony offenses, and police said investigators expect more charges to be filed in Cobb and Cherokee counties.

Vance was booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center shortly after midnight Wednesday, according to the Cobb Sheriff’s Office, which said Vance’s bail has been set at $8,470.

East Cobb News does not publish photographs of crime suspects before their cases have gone through the legal system, and then only if they are convicted or plead guilty and are sentenced.

ORIGINAL REPORT, POSTED July 10, 7:08 p.m.

Cobb Police on Tuesday said they’re expanding their investigation into a series of recent church vandalisms that includes Noonday Baptist Church in Northeast Cobb.

Police announced on June 18 they were looking for a lone male suspect, between the ages of 35 and 50, and believed he was driving a Hyundai Elantra.

In a release issued late Tuesday afternoon by Cobb Police, Public Information Officer Sarah O’Hara said police are also investigating that a Honda Accord “or [a] like-styled four-door sedan” may be the suspect vehicle.

A photo at Noonday was taken by a church surveillance camera on May 8, shortly after 3 a.m., and shows a male standing on a sidewalk near the church entrance and next to a vehicle with the driver door open.

However, O’Hara said, police have been unable to identify the color of the car because of the black and white footage.

Cobb Police said last month that a male suspect they believed to be working along spray-painted “vulgar” and offensive messages on churches, including satanic messages and “what can best be described as sacrilegious symbols to include crosses with circles around them and lines striking through them.”

O’Hara said police believe the vandalisms took place from April 29 to June 1, and said that the Church of Christ at North Cobb, on Shiloh Road in Kennesaw, has been vandalized three times. She said “satanic messages and offensive language” were spray painted there, and that a private residence also is included in the investigation.

Police said the suspect is partially balding with brown hair, and weighing between 230 to 280 pounds. He is approximately between 5-foot-10 and 6-foot-2 and has a “distinctive gait” that was spotted on the security footage.

O’Hara said anyone with information about the vandalisms is asked to call the Criminal Investigation Unit of Cobb Police Precinct 1 at 770-590-5769.

More East Cobb public safety news

 

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East Cobb teenager in ICU after falling out of moving car; another teen jailed for DUI, other charges

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An East Cobb teenager was admitted to the intensive care unit at WellStar Kennestone Hospital after she fell out of a moving car on Johnson Ferry Road early Thursday morning.Cobb Police, East Cobb teenager,

Another teen was arrested and charged with DUI and other offenses stemming from the incident. Cobb Police said it took place shortly before 2 a.m. Thursday on Johnson Ferry, south of Sewell Mill Road.

Cobb Police spokeswoman Sarah O’Hara said a driver and two passengers were traveling in a silver 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe northbound on Johnson Ferry. One of the passengers, sitting in a rear seat, rolled down a window and began hanging out of it, “yelling and screaming,” according to police.

The passenger, identified by O’Hara as Alyssa Prindle, 18, of an East Cobb address, fell out of the window and hit the road, suffering serious injuries. She was taken to Kennestone, and the driver of the car, Abigail Cook, 17, of Wood Thrush Way in East Cobb, was arrested and booked in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, O’Hara said.

Cook is charged with underage DUI, reckless driving, serious injury by vehicle (a felony), underage possession of alcohol, possession of false identification and a violation of class D drivers license hour restrictions.

According to the Cobb Sheriff’s Office, Cook was released Thursday night on a $27,720 bond.

O’Hara said underage alcohol consumption is a contributing factor in the incident, which remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Cobb County Police Department’s STEP Unit at 770-499-3987.

East Cobb News does not publish photographs of crime suspects before their cases have gone through the legal system, and then only if they are convicted or plead guilty and are sentenced.

 

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Cobb Police officer charged with assault has resigned

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This just in from Cobb Police: Officer Robert New, a Precinct 4 patrol officer charged last week with aggravated assault and criminal solicitation, has resigned. Cobb Police officer resigns

Cobb Police said in a release issued at 6:11 p.m. Monday that New’s resignation is effective immediately.

There was no other information provided by Cobb Police, who were conducting what Chief Mike Register said last week was an administrative complaint filed against him.

New remains in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without bond, and is scheduled to have a bond hearing on July 10.

New was in his second stint serving in East Cobb’s Precinct 4 when he was arrested last week for aggravated assault and simple battery during a sexual encounter with a 44-year-old woman.

Police determined the woman, who said New had slapped her face and choked her, had the mental capacity of a 10-to-14-year-old.

Register said at a press conference last Monday that the department was acting “with the intent to reach a timely decision” about New’s employment status and said he had been placed on administrative leave without pay.

On Wednesday, police filed additional charges against New, of criminal solicitation and child pornography by use of wireless internet, involving a 12-year-old girl.

New started with Cobb Police in Precinct 4 in 2005 and served on the department’s DUI task force before returning to Precinct 4.

 

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New charges against Precinct 4 Cobb Police officer include criminal solicitation

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A Cobb Police officer who was arrested on Monday for aggravated assault is facing additional charges that include the solicitation of a minor girl for sex.Cobb Police

Cobb Police said Thursday that Officer Robert New has been charged with criminal solicitation and computer pornography involving the use of wireless internet. Police said they’re investigating with the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.

Both of the new charges are felonies. Warrant information indicates that New attempted to solicit a 12-year-old girl and another female related to her via text.

New, 46, who has been a patrol officer at the East Cobb-based Precinct 4, remains in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without bond.

He was arrested at his home on Hawkins Store Road and charged with assault and battery involving a woman in an off-duty incident. New is accused of slapping and choking a 44-year-old woman in a sexual encounter in March.

At a press conference Tuesday, Cobb Police Chief Mike Register said investigators believe New met the woman online. After a forensic interview with the woman, he said, they determined she had the mental capacity of a child between 10 and 14 years of age.

Register also said the department is responding to a non-criminal administrative complaint against New by another woman.

New had his first hearing with a Cobb Magistrate Court judge Tuesday and was told his bond hearing would be July 10. He has been placed on administrative leave without pay by Cobb Police.

New began his Cobb Police career at Precinct 4 and served on the department’s DUI task force before returning to Precinct 4.

East Cobb News does not publish photographs of crime suspects before their cases have gone through the legal system, and then only if they are convicted or plead guilty and are sentenced.

 

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Cobb Police officer charged with aggravated assault placed on unpaid leave; jailed without bond

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A Cobb Police officer charged with aggravated assault stemming from an off-duty incident with a woman has been placed on unpaid administrative leave while an internal investigation against him continues. Cobb Police Officer charged

At a brief news conference Tuesday afternoon, Cobb Police Chief Mike Register said Officer Robert L. New has been a patrol officer at Precinct 4 in East Cobb.

According to the Cobb Sheriff’s Office, New was booked late Monday night on a felony charge of aggravated assault-strangulation and a misdemeanor charge of simple battery. He remains in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without bond, according to jail records.

Register said New was arrested around 10 p.m. at his home after police received a complaint on Saturday “concerning acts of violence with an adult female.”

Cobb Police began an investigation led by Capt. Everett Cebula, head of internal affairs and until recently the deputy commander at Precinct 4, and the department’s sexual victims unit.

Register didn’t specify the acts, although an arrest warrant indicates New is accused of slapping and choking the woman during a sexual encounter sometime in March at his home on Hawkins Store Road.

Register said it’s “fairly certain” New met the woman online.

The chief said a forensic interview with the woman determined that she had a mental capacity of between 10 and 14 years of age.

Register said in response to a media question about the incident that “both parties consented, but the actions that took place during the encounter brought us to take out warrants against Officer New.”

Register said search warrants have been taken out for “where the incident occurred” and that portion of the investigation is continuing.

He also said the department is acting “with the intent to reach a timely decision” about New’s employment status.

Register said New started with Cobb Police in February 2005 and was assigned to Precinct 4 in East Cobb. He later served on the department’s DUI Task Force before returning to Precinct 4.

“We will do the right thing for the victim and the process for the officer,” Register said.

East Cobb News does not publish photographs of crime suspects before their cases have gone through the legal system, and then only if they are convicted or plead guilty and are sentenced.

UPDATED, Wednesday, June 20, 1:11 P.M.: On Tuesday night, New briefly appeared before a Cobb Magistrate Judge at the Cobb jail, and was told he would have a July 10 bond hearing.

New remains in custody without bond.

 

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East Cobb woman charged with cruelty to children for leaving baby in a hot car

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An East Cobb woman has been charged by Cobb Police with reckless conduct and cruelty to children for leaving a baby in her car while she went shopping last month. Cobb Police, East Cobb woman charged

Shoba Marudur, of Ashworth Glen Court in East Cobb, was booked and released on a $10,000 bond on Sunday, May 27, the same day of the incident, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records.

According to media reports, Marudur was shopping at the T.J. Maxx store at Providence Square Shopping Center on Roswell Road on a hot afternoon when other shoppers noticed a crying infant girl alone in a car, without windows cracked, and called 911. They also went into to the store to seek out the child’s parent.

The reckless conduct charge against Marudur is a misdemeanor, while the second-degree cruelty to children charge is a felony.

East Cobb News does not publish photographs of crime suspects before their cases have gone through the legal system, and then only if they are convicted or plead guilty and are sentenced.

 

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Kell High School teacher arrested, charged with sexual assault

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A Kell High School teacher arrested on Friday for sexual assault remains in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center today. Cobb Police, Kell High School teacher arrested

Spencer Wayne Herron, 48, was taken into custody at his Acworth home Friday afternoon. He has been charged with three felony counts of sexual assault by a teacher or school administrator.

His bail has been set at $50,000, according to the Cobb Sheriff’s Office.

Herron, who has been a video teacher at Kell for 16 years, was named the school’s teacher of the year two years ago.

Arrest warrants indicate Herron has been accused of having sex multiple times with a student on campus from early 2016 through the school year that just ended last month.

This past school year, Herron was a member of the Cobb County School District’s Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Council.

East Cobb News does not publish photographs of crime suspects before their cases have gone through the legal system, and then only if they are convicted or plead guilty and are sentenced.

 

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BREAKING NEWS: Second suspect in Bells Ferry Road murder arrested

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Updating a story from a couple of weeks ago: Marietta Police say they have taken into custody a second suspect wanted for a Bells Ferry Road murder last month.Marietta Police, Delk Road motel shooting

Marietta Police said their detectives and the FBI’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force arrested Je’Marquise Wright, 17, in connection with the murder of 19-year-old Tyon Gorman.

Gorman was found lying in front of businesses at a small strip shopping center on Bells Ferry Road at Williams Drive with a gunshot wound, according to police, who said a vehicle left the area after the shooting and was heading north on Bells Ferry Road.

Police said Gorman died at WellStar Kennestone Hospital, and Mehki Hilali, 18, was arrested on May 3 and charged with murder, aggravated battery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and aggravated assault with intent to murder.

Police had asked for the public’s help in finding Wright, who is charged with murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault with intent to murder and street gang terrorism.

He is being held without bail, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records, which indicated that Wright was apprehended at 2121 Windy Hill Road, the address for an apartment complex, and booking began around 3 p.m. today.

Marietta Police said they found “multiple weapons and narcotics” in Wright’s possession when he was arrested, and that additional charges are pending.

Marietta Police said they have made all the arrests they expect to make in the case but that anyone with information should call their detectives line directly at 770-794-6990 or contact Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-TIPS if they wish to remain anonymous.

 

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Man arrested after trying to purchase a child at an East Cobb Kroger store

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An East Cobb man has been arrested and charged with criminal solicitation of a child after attempting to purchase a 7-year-old girl from an East Cobb Kroger store on Monday, Cobb Police said.Cobb Police

Einodd Samimi, 62 or 63 years old, is in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, charged with felony counts of criminal solicitation and enticing a child, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office information.

Cobb Police said a woman and her granddaughter were at the Kroger store at 2100 Roswell Road, in the Pavilions at East Lake Shopping Center, around 7 p.m. Monday, when the grandmother said she noticed a man following them.

She said the man was making “inappropriate comments” and offered to buy the child for $200, police said.

According to Cobb Police, “the grandmother confronted the male when he asked to purchase her granddaughter at the Kroger, and a ‘large crowd’ of shoppers chased the male through the store and to his vehicle.”

Police added that detectives arrested Samimi at his home. The place of arrest noted by the Cobb Sheriff’s Office is on Coventry Township Place, located off Barnes Mill Road, near the Kroger.

Samimi, who was born in Iran, is being held on $20,000 bond, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Police said the grandmother also told them the same man previously had offered her $100 for the child at a Wal-Mart on Cobb Parkway.

Cobb Police said they’re continuing to investigate and anyone with information is asked to contact the Cobb County Crimes Against Children unit at 770-801-3470.

The arrest of Samimi was announced as Cobb Police also said they have arrested a man who allegedly tried to kidnap an 11-year-old girl in a public restroom at Town Center Mall on Tuesday.

Police said the suspect came out of a stall and threatened the girl with a knife while her father waited for her outside the restroom.

Police said the girl screamed and escaped, and the suspect was chased down by mall patrons in a food court before being caught.

Cobb Police say they’re looking for witnesses with information about a female whom they think was involved in the incident, but who got away.

Police say the woman may be of Middle Eastern descent in her 30s. Anyone with information, or who may have taken videos or photos should contact the Crimes Against Children unit at 770-801-3487 or by e-mailing CobbSVU@cobbcounty.org.

Danzel Mitchell, 26, is being held at the Cobb jail without bond, and is charged with aggravated assault, attempted kidnapping, cruelty to children in the first degree and false imprisonment.

 

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Bells Ferry Road murder suspect arrested; police seeking another man

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Jemarquis Wright, Bells Ferry Road murder suspect
Marietta Police are looking for Je’marquis Wright 

An update to a shooting on Bells Ferry Road last Friday that left a man dead: One suspect has been taken in to custody, and police are looking for another man they’re saying is “wanted for questioning.”

Marietta Police said Thursday afternoon that Mehki Hilali, 18, has been charged with murder, aggravated battery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and aggravated assault with intent to murder.

Tyon Demeko Gorman, 19, was found shot at a small strip shopping center on Bells Ferry near Williams Drive and later died at a hospital, according to police. They said that a white vehicle with a rear spoiler was seen leaving the area after the shooting and was heading north on Bells Ferry Road.

According to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records, Hilali has a Dallas, Ga., address, and was booked in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center Wednesday night and is being held without bond.

Police also have released the accompanying photo of another man, Je’marquis Wright, 17, (shown above), who is wanted for questioning about the shooting.

Marietta Police said anyone with information is asked to call their detectives line directly at 770-794-6990) or contact Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-TIPS if they wish to remain anonymous.

 

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Police investigating Bells Ferry Road fatal shooting Friday night

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Bells Ferry Road fatal shooting, Marietta Police
Marietta Police say a 19-year-old man was shot at a gas station and convenience store at 1750 Bells Ferry Road and Williams Drive Friday, and later died. (Marietta Police photo)

UPDATED, Thursday, May 3, 4:30 p.m.: Marietta Police have charged an 18-year-old with murder in this case and are looking for another teenager.

Marietta Police say a Bells Ferry Road shooting on Friday night has left a 19-year-old man dead, and that they’re searching for a vehicle that left the scene.

Tyon Demeko Gorman, 19, died after being transported to WellStar Kennestone Hospital, police said.

Police said that a white vehicle with a rear spoiler was seen leaving the area and was heading north on Bells Ferry Road.

Police said officers were called to a small strip shopping center at 1750 Bells Ferry Road, just north of Interstate 75, at 6:22 p.m., and found that a black male had suffered at least one gunshot wound.

He was lying on the ground in front of the businesses when police, Marietta Fire and Metro Ambulance units responded, Marietta Police said.

Marietta Police said they had no other details available, but that anyone with information is asked to call contact Detective Mark Erion at 770-794-6990.

 

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Man dies after Bells Ferry Road shooting Friday evening

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Here’s more information about the shooting that left a 19-year-old man dead.

UPDATE, 9:15 P.M.

Police said the male shooting victim has died.

ORIGINAL REPORT, posted at 7:50 p.m.

An unidentified person has been taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital Friday evening after a Bells Ferry Road shooting, according to Marietta Police. Marietta Police, Delk Road motel shooting

Police said officers were called to 1750 Bells Ferry Road, just north of Interstate 75, at 6:22 p.m., and that someone had been rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound.

Police have not released information about that individual’s condition or more details about the shooting.

A number of apartment complexes and small business are located around the scene of the shooting, and it’s also near the intersection of Bells Ferry Road and Williams Drive.

 

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East Cobb man arrested in multi-state child exploitation investigation

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An East Cobb man arrested and charged with sexual exploitation of a child is one of 76 people rounded up in Georgia and seven other Southeastern states this week in a sweeping investigation conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and other state, local and federal agencies.Georgia ICAC, East Cobb man arrested, Operation Southern Impact II

Andrew C. Orr, 34, was arrested by Cobb Police Wednesday and taken to the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, according to the Cobb Sheriff’s Office, which listed his address as being on Creekstone Way in Indian Hills.

Orr is identified by the GBI as a part-time freighter.

Cobb Sheriff’s Office records indicate that Orr has been charged with one felony count of sexual exploitation of a child, and one felony count of using a computer service to entice a child to commit an illegal act, and that he was released Thursday after posting a $25,000 bond.

In a press release, the GBI said 13 children were rescued or identified as victims of child exploitation as a result of the investigation.

A warrant was issued for Orr’s arrest as Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces in Georgia and other states conducted “Operation Southern Impact II.” It’s a four-month investigation of allegations of possession and distribution of child pornography and sexual exploitation of children using the Internet.

A total of 34 people were arrested in Georgia, and those charged in all range in age from 17 to 72, the GBI said. Cobb and Marietta police were among the more than 200 law enforcement agencies participating in the investigation in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The GBI said more arrests are likely.

 

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Cobb Police release sketch of ‘fake cop’ suspect in Terrell Mill Road rape case

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Late this afternoon Cobb Police released a sketch of a man they say impersonated a law enforcement officer last week and pulled over a female motorist before raping her.

Cobb Police said a white male dressed as an officer and driving a vehicle with a light bar on top stopped another vehicle on Terrell Mill Road near Paper Mill Road early Friday morning. When the suspect asked for the woman’s driver’s license, police said he sexually assaulted her (previous East Cobb News post here).

It is unclear if the suspect is the same man who pulled over a female motorist in the city of Atlanta and raped her a few hours before the Cobb County attack. The sketch below was issued about the same time on Wednesday, around 5 p.m. by Atlanta Police.

Both sketches were created by a sketch artist with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, working off descriptions and information provided by the victims. Atlanta and Cobb Police are continuing to investigate the case jointly.

The suspect is believed to be a white male, around six feet tall, and is around 30 years old. He also is described as wearing clothing and gear similar to law enforcement, but that does not correspond with any local police or public safety agency. Police said the man also was wearing a police duty belt with a gun, Taser and radio.

Police urged motorists, especially female drivers, to exercise caution and safety when being pulled over, including stopping in a public, well-lit area and calling 911 if necessary to verify the identity of the officer.

Cobb Police said anyone with information about the Terrell Mill Road rape case should call the Crimes Against Persons Unit at 770-499-4111 or email: cobbpolicecrimetips@cobbcounty.org.

 

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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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