Addison ES principal charged with DUI, traffic violations

Addison ES principal charged with DUI

The principal of Addison Elementary School in East Cobb has been charged with driving under the influence and other traffic violations.

According to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records, Jill Spiva was charged with one misdemeanor count of DUI and separate counts of an open container violation and failure to maintain a lane, also misdemeanors.

The arrest took place on Thursday afternoon at Ebenezer Road and Sandy Plains Road, close to the school, according to the booking report.

She was booked into the Cobb Adult Detention Center around 5 p.m. Thursday, and was released the following day after posting a $1,980 bond, the booking report states.

A report from WSB-TV states that Spiva caused a crash near the school, and that officers discovered a plastic bag with vodka near a console when they approached her vehicle. When she refused a blood test, according to the report, a judge signed a search warrant ordering her to give blood.

Her status as principal is unclear; a Cobb County School District spokesperson told East Cobb News the following:

“The district recently became aware of an incident which we have verified happened off-campus and after school hours. Because the investigation is ongoing, we cannot comment further. We are happy to hear everyone involved is safe.”

Spiva, who lives in Milton, has been with the district for more than 20 years, and is in her fourth year at Addison. She is a Lassiter High School graduate and has been an assistant principal at Shallowford Falls Elementary School and Davis Elementary School.

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Cobb Police appoints Maj. Darin Hull as Precinct 4 commander

Darin Hull, a nearly 20-year veteran of the Cobb Police Department, has been named the commander of Precinct 4 in East Cobb.

Cobb Police appoints Maj. Darin Hull as Precinct 4 commander
Maj. Darin Hull

Hull, who most recently had been head of the Cobb Police Major Crimes Unit, began his duties in December succeeding Brian Batterton, who retired after 30 years of service.

Hull also has been commander of the Cobb Police Violent Incident Prevention and Early Response (VIPER) unit, supervised an organized crime and gang unit and has had roles with the DUI Task Force, Underwater Search and Recovery Team (USRT) and in a variety of positions in Precinct 1 in northwest Cobb.

From 2018-24, Hull also served in a part-time role as police coordinator with the Atlanta Braves and for events at Truist Park.

In 2023, Hull was part of a Cobb Police real-time crime response operation that tracked down a suspect in a shooting at a Midtown Atlanta medical office. The suspect was found near Truist Park and The Battery after an extensive manhunt facilitated by the use of advanced technology and criminal intelligence.

Before joining Cobb Police, Hull was an investigator with the Cobb Sheriff’s Office. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from American InterContinental University and a Master’s of Public Administration in emergency management from Jacksonville State University.

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East Cobb man arrested after hiding in ceiling at his home

East Cobb man arrested after hiding in ceiling at his home
A screengrab of Cobb Sheriff’s deputies pulling a suspect from a ceiling hiding spot in his home.

An East Cobb man whom Cobb Sheriff’s Office deputies were trying to arrest on an outstanding warrant made them dig deep inside his home earlier this month to pry him out.

The Cobb Sheriff’s Office posted a bodycam video Monday showing that on Dec. 2, deputies searched the home of a suspect, later identified in an arrest warrant as Jason Black, before locating him in an area above a ceiling, then pulling him out.

The warrant stated that Black, 50, was wanted on a family violence order in another jurisdiction.

Deputies arrived at his home on Tremont Drive, located off Trickum Road, around 10:15 a.m. on Dec. 2, according to the warrant.

The bodycam video (you can watch it here) showed deputies banging on the front door, loudly and repeatedly demanding that the door be opened, then stepping inside as another man left the entrance with his hands up.

The deputies then carefully walked through the home, searching rooms with weapons at the ready, until they went into the garage. They made their way through debris until they discovered “a freshly cut hole in the ceiling, with dust and footprints below,” according to the video.

Deputies then ordered the suspect to come down, and one of them pulled the suspect by the hands after he obeyed their orders to show them, the video shows.

The suspect’s face was blotted out in the video as he was escorted into to a deputy’s vehicle without incident.

“You’re in big trouble,” one of the deputies said to the suspect.

Black was charged with a misdemeanor count of willful obstruction of a law enforcement officer, as well as a probation violation, and was being detained on a hold by Doraville Police for the family violence matter, according to his booking report.

The booking report said that Black posted a $1,320 bond on Dec. 19.

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Early-morning East Cobb house fire displaces four people

Cobb Fire said Monday that four people have been displaced from a home in East Cobb after a fire broke out there early Monday morning.

Cobb Fire Lt. Troy Lange told East Cobb News that nobody was injured and a firefighter sustained minor burns to the ears.

Lange said that fire crews responded to a fire in the 3000 block of Vinyard Way, in the Arthurs Vinyard subdivision off Johnson Ferry Road, north of Oak Lane, around 3:45 a.m. Monday.

He said that the fire was coming from the garage, where crews worked to contain the fire. Lange added that the cause of the fire is not known and that it is being investigated.

Lange also said that the Red Cross has been contacted to assist those who were in the home.

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Cobb Police Precinct 4 Commander Maj. Batterton retires

Cobb Police Precinct 4 Commander Maj. Batterton retires
Cobb Police Maj. Brian Batterton, retiring Precinct 4 Commander

Maj. Brian Batterton, a 30-year veteran of the Cobb Police Department and the commander of Precinct 4 in East Cobb since 2018, has retired.

Batterton was honored at a special ceremony Wednesday marking his service.

He began his tenure in Precinct 4 in 1995, and has served as a patrol officer, a criminal investigations supervisor and as a training center commander.

Batterton, an East Cobb resident, earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University and a juris doctor degree from John Marshall Law School. He also has served in the National Guard in Georgia and Alabama.

After Wednesday’s ceremony, Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell said that “throughout his tenure, Maj. Batterton served with professionalism, dedication, and a strong commitment to public safety, leaving a lasting impact on Precinct 4 and the community it serves.

“Congratulations, Maj. Batterton, on your well-earned retirement. You will be greatly missed, and we thank you for your 30 years of service and leadership at Precinct 4.”

The new Precinct 4 commander will be Major Darin Hull, currently the head of the Cobb Police Major Crimes Unit, according to Officer Aaron Wilson, a Cobb Police public information officer.

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Wheeler HS graduate evacuates after deadly Brown U shooting

Wheeler HS graduate safely flees deadly Brown U shooting

A Wheeler High School graduate safely evacuated the Brown University campus last weekend during a mass shooting that killed two people, both of whom he knew.

Edward Kim, a freshman engineering major at Brown, said in a cable television interview that he got a message from his mother on Saturday afternoon after the shooting on the Ivy League campus in Providence, R.I.

“We felt that the right decision was to leave immediately,” Kim said in an interview with Katy Tur on MS NOW (formerly MSNBC; you can watch the full interview here.)

He was speaking from his home in Marietta, after Brown officials cancelled the rest of the semester and final exams.

Five days later, law enforcement across New England continues searching for the suspect, who is wanted for shooting to death Ella Cook, 19, of Mountain Brook, Ala., and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, an Uzbeki national who attended high school in Midlothian, Va.

Nine other people were shot, with one having been released, one in critical condition and seven others in stable condition.

One of the victims is another Georgia student, Jacob Spears, 18, from Columbia County, who is recoverimg in a hospital.

Authorities in Providence have released footage of the man they say is the suspect, but he has not been identified, and they’re asking for the public’s help in locating him.

Kim attended the Wheeler STEM Magnet school and graduated in May. As a junior, he took part in a student walkout at Wheeler following a deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder.

At Brown, he was friends with Umurzokov, who was aspiring to be a brain surgeon.

Tur asked Kim if he would be reluctant to return to campus if the shooter was still at-large after the holidays: “Absolutely.”

He said a few days before the shooting there was a false alarm that he said students took seriously.

“The fact that we don’t have anybody in custody has brought a lot of fear into Brown students,” Kim said.

Kim said that he thought Umurzokov was from the Atlanta area because he mentioned to him specific MARTA stations, and that he helped him deal with some homesickness by talking about the Georgia Bulldogs.

“I still can’t believe he’s not going to be with us in January when we come back,” Kim said of Umurzokov.

Kim said in the MS NOW interview that he also had an interaction with Cook in August regarding joining a political e-mail list (she was involved with the Brown College Republican group), although he didn’t know her name at the time.

Kim, who supported Democrat Laura Judge in a Cobb Board of Education election in 2024 in Post 5 in East Cobb, also was a youth advisor for U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, a Georgia Republican, in 2023.

During the Wheeler walkout in September 2024, Kim spoke to the assembled students, saying that “in major moments of national social change, students coming together and speaking about their challenges pushed the needle. Could you imagine how behind Civil Rights would be without the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee or the Southern Christian Leadership Conference? What about the Vietnam War? The movements were fought on college campuses, not the halls of Congress, not the Oval Office.”

On a social media posting, Judge—who’s involved with the gun-control group Moms Demand Action—said Wednesday morning that she had kept in touch with Kim as he started college, and that the tragedy at Brown “just galvanizes me to continue to enact change.

“It feels weird to say that I’m proud of the interview Edward gave, but I also know these stories must be told, so that the memories of Mukhammad Aziz and Ella live on.

“As always, hug your loved ones and continue to fight on. We do not have to live like this.”

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Cobb traffic suspect injured by his own gun in police clash

An Atlanta man trying to evade a traffic stop in the Cumberland area last week injured himself with his own gun while being apprehended by police, according to Cobb Police.Northeast Cobb car crash, Cops on Donut Shops

Sgt. Eric Smith said that last Wednesday, Dec. 10, James Lawrence, 22, was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, among other charges, and he has been in jail ever since.

Smith said that a car in which Lawrence had been riding was pulled over by police near 3101 Cobb Parkway, at the Parkway Pointe shopping center, around 11:14 p.m. Dec. 10, and that he fled on foot into a nearby parking garage.

Police said that as police attempted to arrest the suspect, he was seen fumbling with a firearm, which discharged and struck him. According to Smith, Lawrence was treated for his injuries, but no police officers were harmed.

Lawrence’s booking report indicates that the arrest officially occurred at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital. Police said that he also is charged with possession of a firearm/knife during the commission of a crime, two counts of criminal trespass, willful obstruction of a law enforcement officer, possession of marijuana and possession of a firearm by a convicted criminal.

He is being held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records, and also is wanted in Fulton County on outstanding warrants.

According to police, another individual, Aminah Blount, 32, of Atlanta, who was driving a Mercedes involved in the traffic stop, was charged with driving on a suspended license.

A passenger in that vehicle, Tenquantas Smith, 26, of Atlanta, also had outstanding warrants elsewhere, and was charged with attempting to elude a police officer, willful obstruction of a law enforcement officer, possession of a sawed-off weapon and possession of a firearm/knife during the commission of a crime.

Smith is being held without bond in Cobb on holds from DeKalb and Rockdale counties, and Blount posted a $1,650 bond in Cobb on Dec. 11, according to booking reports.

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East Cobb post office employee charged with stealing mail

East Cobb post office employee charged with stealing mail

Cobb Police have issued arrest warrants for an employee at an East Cobb post office who has been charged with stealing mail.

Police said Friday afternoon that Isis Hinson, 26, of Acworth, is at-large, and is wanted on charges of theft by taking and possession of stolen mail.

Police said Hinson worked at the U.S. Postal Service office at 1395 East Cobb Drive (behind Trader Joe’s) and was the subject of a postal service investigation.

Sgt. Eric Smith of Cobb Police said the investigation revealed that Hinson was stealing greeting cards in particular between Oct. 2 and Dec. 11, with the intent of searching the greeting cards for gift cards and cash.

The investigation began on Oct. 29 after a letter carrier in Acworth reported recovering opened greeting cards from a cluster box, and that the mail had been opened but was not postmarked.

Postal service investigators identified a person in the Acworth vicinity as a suspect and “further investigation confirmed the suspected USPS employee was stealing mail from the post office and using enclosed gift cards for personal benefit,” Smith said.

He added that on Thursday the employee met with USPS special agents, who recovered additional mail, and who accepted the employee’s resignation.

Smith said that “the public is reminded to exercise caution when sending cash or items of monetary value through the mail, especially during the holiday season.

“Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of mail theft is encouraged to contact the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) Complaint Line at (888) 877-7644.”

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Men charged in connection with Kell High School vandalism

East Cobb high schools AP honors

Cobb Police have charged two men with breaking into Kell High School and causing several thousands of dollars worth of damage in late November.

A warrant for Micah Peter Zefo, 22, of Acworth says that he and Hunter Bridges, of Marietta, broke into the school in the overnight hours of Nov. 24, and for several hours drove floor scrubbers across the hardwood floors, damaging the machines and newly refinishing flooring.

The warrant said the total of the damages came to nearly $12,000, and that the two men jumped several entrances to gain entry to the football press box and a storage building before entering the main building.

According to a Cobb Sheriff’s Office booking report, Zefo was arrested on Dec. 6 and released the same day on two felony charges of breaking into a vehicle and second-degree criminal property damage and misdemeanor charges of criminal trespass, theft by taking and loiter prowl.

Zefo posted a bond of $16,720 upon his release, the records show. There’s not an arrest report for Bridges, who has been charged with similar offenses.

Zefo’s warrant further states that the men also did damage to a roster board in the main gymnasium, entered a school bus through a roof hatch and tried to get into another bus.

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Dodgen Middle School evacuated after faulty fire alarm

Dodgen Middle School evacuated after faulty fire alarm

Dodgen Middle School families were notified Monday that the school was briefly evacuated after what turned out to be a false fire alarm was triggered during the school day.

A message that went out from Principal Dr. Patricia Alford didn’t say when the incident happened, she but said that everyone was safety evacuated as Cobb Fire crews came to the scene to investigate.

“They discovered that a faulty smoke sensor was the cause, and it was replaced on the spot,” she said. “Once the repair was made, the system worked again and kids were brought back inside. We were able to continue our day with some minor adjustments.”

Alford didn’t give a time frame, but in her message thanked first responders.

East Cobb News has left a message with the Cobb County School District seeking more information.

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Motorist charged in fatal hit-and-run on Terrell Mill Road

Cobb Police said they’ve charged a motorist in a fatal hit-and-run crash on Terrell Mill Road that killed a pedestrian Monday night.Northeast Cobb car crash, Cops on Donut Shops

Officer Aaron Wilson said Kuntae Green, 28, of Marietta, was taken into custody at his home on charges of felony hit-and-run, driving with a suspended license, and a center turn lane violation.

According to his booking report, Green resides at a nearby address and he is being held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.

Police said Green was driving a gray 2014 Ford Escape around 7:12 p.m. Monday on Terrell Mill Road near Bentley Road when the incident occurred.

Police said Green’s car was heading south, but in the center lane, when it struck Roubins Francoise, 36, of Marietta, a pedestrian who was attempting to cross Terrell Mill outside of a marked crosswalk.

Wilson said the driver of the Ford Escape fled the scene, and Francois was taken by ambulance to WellStar Kennestone Hospital and later died there.

Wilson said the crash remains under investigation and that nyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Cobb Police STEP Unit at 770-499-3987.

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Cobb Police: Woman found dead at Powers Ferry Road hotel

Cobb Police said a 58-year-old woman was found dead Sunday at an extended-stay hotel on Powers Ferry Road, but they’re not providing many details.Northeast Cobb car crash, Cops on Donut Shops

Officer Aaron Wilson said that the woman, who was not identified, was discovered deceased in her room at the Extended Stay America hotel (2239 Powers Ferry Road) around 11:25 a.m. Sunday.

Wilson said officers from the Cobb Police Major Crimes Department were called to the scene, and “at this time, the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death remain under investigation, and additional information will be released as it becomes available.”

Wilson did not provide a cause of death nor did he say who contacted police.

Even though the woman’s next of kin has been notified, her identity is not being released “out of respect for the family,” Wilson said.

Cobb Police are asking anyone with information to call the Major Crimes Unit at 770-499-3945.

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Fire at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church contained to chapel

Fire at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church contained to chapel
Photo via NextDoor

Johnson Ferry Baptist Church officials said Thursday that a fire in the chapel building caught fire Wednesday evening but was contained by firefighters and nobody was injured.

In a release, the church said that Cobb Fire crews were called around 9 p.m. Wednesday to the chapel—at left in photo, next to the current sanctuary—after the fire alarm system was triggered, and discovered smoke coming from the chapel area.

“The fire department acted quickly to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to other parts of the campus,” the release said. “Thanks to their rapid and professional response, the fire was brought under control in a short period of time.”

The release said that “outside of a lingering smoke smell, no other buildings on the church property were affected.” The cause of the fire is under investigation but “we have ruled out that any foul play was involved.”

The chapel holds special events, including weddings, and other activities at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, which is located on a 37-acre campus.

The release said that “all worship services and ministry activities will continue as scheduled in other parts of the campus.”

Rev. Clay Smith, the senior pastor at Johnson Ferry, thanked fire crews for their response: “Their professionalism and swift action kept everyone safe and contained the damage to the Chapel. We’re thankful for their service to our community, and for God’s protection over our church family.”

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Cobb County government to hold cybersecurity event on Friday

Submitted information:2024 Cobb Cybersecurity Day presented by Cobb County ITS

Cobb County Government invites residents, students, businesses, and community organizations to attend Cobb Cybersecurity Day 2025 on Friday, Oct. 3, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cobb County Civic Center, 548 South Marietta Parkway SE, Marietta.

Held in recognition of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, this free event will provide critical insights and hands-on learning opportunities to help individuals recognize and defend against today’s growing cyber threats.

Event highlights:

  • Expert presentations from local universities and industry leaders
  • Insights from Cobb County’s Technology-Based Crimes Unit
  • Practical guidance on protecting personal data and spotting cyber scams
  • Information on how Cobb County safeguards community data
  • Career resources for students exploring cybersecurity fields
  • Complimentary catered lunch
  • Door prizes including a YETI cooler, Surface Laptop, and more*

Since 2004, National Cybersecurity Awareness Month has united public and private partners to raise awareness about cybersecurity and data privacy. This year, Cobb County is bringing that mission directly to the community with a day dedicated to education, prevention, and empowerment.

Why attend?
As reliance on digital systems grows, informed individuals are the first line of defense. Cobb Cybersecurity Day is designed to give attendees the knowledge to protect themselves, their families, and their workplaces.

The event is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged but not required*. Register at: cobbcounty.gov/CyberDay

*Registration and attendance are required to be eligible for door prizes.

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Bookmiser, other businesses closed after fire at retail center

Bookmiser and other businesses closed after etail center center
Cobb firefighters quickly put out an electrical fire at the Owl Repairs store on Roswell Road Sunday morning, but businesses in a retail center are closed.

The Bookmiser bookstore in East Cobb is one of several businesses in a small retail center that is closed temporarily after a fire broke out there on Sunday

Bookmiser owner Annell Gerson sent out a message Monday morning that her business would be closed “until further notice” to in-store customers due to smoke damage.

Her space is at the Village East strip center at 3822 Roswell Road, at the intersection of Robinson Road East.

She said the fire broke out at the Owl computer repair store next door, and “generated a tremendous amount of smoke which permeated every small business in the center causing extensive smoke and soot damage.”

Other businesses there include the 348 Studio fitness center, a Chopstix Chinese restaurant, an upholstery store, a wax studio and nail salon.

Lt. Stephen Bennett of Cobb Fire and Emergency Services told  East Cobb News that fire started in the workshop for the telephone repair business at Owl Repairs and the cause is still under investigation.

Gerson said the fire broke out Sunday morning, when all the businesses were closed.

“The fire was confined to the room of origin and smoke damage was confined to the phone repair business,” Bennett said. “There was a strong odor-of-smoke in the suites connected to the fire suite.”

On its Facebook page, Owl Repairs showed a video with firefighters on the scene (screengrab above), and said the fire was electrical in nature. “Then the variety of electronics caused the store to go up in endless flames.”

A narrator on the video added that “this place is burned down. . . . We could use all the community support as we attempt to recover.”

Bookmiser sustained extensive smoke and soot damage due to the fire that broke out at Owl Repairs.

Owl Repairs urged its customers to to shop at its other location on Bells Ferry Road.

“Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you, we are also devastated,” the message said.

Gerson said her Bookmiser inventory includes more than 35,000 books, and that “although we have begun steps to improve air quality and clean up, much more work remains to be done.”

She encouraged her customers to shop online, via its Bookshop.org and Libro.fm partners. Bookmiser book club events that are held at Bookmiser will temporarily be meeting at Stitches, a quilting store behind Village East.

“In most cases, book clubs will meet there or at another location which will be communicated to book club members by Annell,” the Bookmiser message stated.

Gerson opened Bookmiser in 1998 in space on Sandy Plains Road near Woodstock Road, then opened at second location in East Cobb at the present location on Roswell Road. The original location closed in 2018.

All of the businesses at Village East were closed Monday, and some were doing smoke mitigation work.

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Woman stabbed to death at same hotel where infant was killed

For the second time this week, Cobb Police are investigating a homicide at a motel off Windy Hill Road.Cobb Police, Holly Springs Road suspicious person, East Cobb crime forum

Cobb Police Sgt. Eric Smith said that Amatrian Hawkins, 45, of Atlanta, died of multiple stab wounds early Friday morning after officers were called to the Budgetel Inn at 4900 Circle 75 Parkway.

Smith said that another woman, Janiyah Jenkins, 19, of Atlanta, suffered a severe laceration to her right hand. Both women were taken to unspecified hospitals, but Amatrian Hawkins was pronounced dead, Smith said.

The younger woman was released, and Cobb Police have charged Frank Moore, 46, of Atlanta, with felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony. He is being held at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without bond, according to his booking report.

Smith said that Moore had fled the scene and was arrested by Atlanta Police and “was familiar to the victims in this case.”

Police said four men have been arrested for a shooting that killed a nine-month-old girl at the same Budgetel earlier this week.

Police are continuing to investigate the Hawkins murder, and said that anyone with information is asked to Cobb Police Major CrimesUnit at (770) 499-3945.

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Police: Infant killed in Windy Hill Road-area motel shooting

Cobb Police said Wednesday a 9-month-old girl was killed on Tuesday after gunfire broke out in a motel in the Windy Hill Road area, and four men have been arrested for her murder.

Northeast Cobb car crash, Cops on Donut Shops

According to the Cobb Sheriff’s Office, Ladarrius Brown, 22, of Smyrna and Jayvion Young, 23, of an East Cobb address in the Hamby Acres subdivision, are being held at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without bond on charges of felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

Two other men are facing related charges and are at the Cobb jail wiothout bond.

Camron Harris, 22, of Smyrna, is charged making a false statement and tempering with evidence, according to his booking report.

Anthony Smith, 22, of Penny Lane is East Cobb, also is charged with tampering with evidence.

Cobb Police Sgt. Shenise Barner said in a release that the unidentified victim “was beyond lifesaving measures” when officers arrived at the Budgetel Inn, 4900 Circle 75 Parkway, around 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Her mother reported the child had been shot, and police said the girl was later pronounced dead on the scene.

The motel is located near Windy Hill Road and Interstate 75, and police didn’t indicate what may have prompted the shooting.

Arrest warrants for Young and Brown state they shot at one one another and that the infant was hit by gunfire, causing her death, possibly in an exchange between them.

Harris’ warrant states that he took Brown’s gun and “disposed of said firearm to conceal it from law enforcement.” Furthermore, according to the warrants, Harris lied to officers to prevent them from finding the gun.

Brown and Harris were arrested at the motel; Young’s booking report states that he was arrested at an apartment complex on Powers Ferry Road.

Police said the Cobb Police Major Crimes Unit is continuing to investigate the shooting and that anyone with information is asked to call (770) 499-3945.

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Police: Man exposed himself to minor at East Cobb LA Fitness

A 55-year-old man remains in custody after being charged with exposing himself to a minor at an LA Fitness center on Sandy Plains Road last month.Northeast Cobb car crash, Cops on Donut Shops

An arrest warrant for Carlos Ceron, of a Powers Ferry Road address, states that during the afternoon of Aug. 30, he masturbated in front of a mirror in a locker room, and that the victim, who was under 16, stated that the suspect “was looking at him and smiling.”

Ceron has been charged with a felony count of child molestation and is being held at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without bond.

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Police: Man pulls gun on taxi driver, arrested by SWAT unit

Marietta Police said that they’ve arrested a man accused of robbing a taxi driver at a residence in an East Marietta neighborhood Sunday following an overnight standoff that involved SWAT officers.Marietta Police

Police said that Jevelious Bryant, 40, is facing charges of aggravated assault, simple battery and being a felon in the possession of a firearm.

According to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records, Bryant was taken into custody Sunday night at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center and is being held without bond.

Police said that Bryant is accused of pulling out a gun and aiming it at a taxi driver who had dropped Bryant off at a home early Sunday morning on Carolyn Street, located off Wallace Road near the North Marietta Parkway and Interstate 75.

The driver had confronted Bryant, whom police said refused to pay for the taxi ride. Police said the driver ran away on foot and hid until Bryant went into the residence.

Police said officers were called to the scene and couldn’t get Bryant to answer the door. Marietta Police SWAT officers were called to the scene around 5 a.m., and discovered that the home was subdivided into apartments with separate entrances, police said.

Police said that all of the occupants of the building were evacuated from by 7:30 a.m. Sunday, and they arrested Bryant after obtaining a search warrant.

Bryant also faces misdemeanor charges of theft of services and marijuana possession, according to his booking report.

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Police charge 3 suspects in East Cobb Waffle House brawl

xSandy Plains Road Waffle House employees attacked by teens

Cobb Police said Friday that three teenagers have been charged for their involvement in a brawl at an East Cobb Waffle House Sunday in which an employee was beaten and injured.

Police said Sammy Dodd (17, Ball Ground), Daniel Riley (18, Calhoun), and Blake Talley-Stewart (17, Roswell) are facing misdemeanor charges that include battery, disorderly conduct, criminal trespass and affray.

Talley-Stewart was taken to the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, after initially being apprehended by Roswell Police. He was charged with a misdemeanor account of disorderly conduct on Thursday and was released Friday on an $1,870 bond.

Dodd was charged with battery, disorderly conduct, criminal trespass, criminal trespass (damage) and affray and was taken into custody by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Thursday.

Riley also was charged with battery, disorderly conduct, criminal trespass, criminal trespass (damage) and affray.

Riley was booked into the Cobb jail Friday afternoon and released early Saturday morning on a $5,720 bond, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office booking reports.

In a statement Friday, Cobb Police did not indicate what led to the assaults, which took place around 2 a.m. Sunday at the Waffle House at 2720 Sandy Plains Road.

Videos shared on social media but that have since been deleted showed several teens entering the restaurant, then threatening employees.

A few seconds into one of the clips, one of the teens began throwing items at an employee behind the counter, then jumped over the counter and began physically assaulting the employee in a prolonged fistfight.

Police said Friday that Talley-Stewart “created a disturbance in the restaurant” and that Dodd and Riley are alleged to have assaulted Waffle House employees.

According to an arrest warrant, Talley-Stewart “threw a plate full of food and a To-Go drink cup toward the fight that took place behind the counter” that was captured on a surveillance camera.

The warrant states that the terms of his bond include that he “shall not return to any Waffle House in Cobb County.”

Police did not provide further details of the incident in their update on Friday.

Witnesses told police that that the teens who came to the restaurant had been asked to leave but refused.

The situation escalated when the teens “began arguing with staff, knocking plates from the counter, and jumping over the service area into the kitchen,” police said Monday.

“One victim was placed in a headlock and struck multiple times in the head. Several patrons attempted to intervene,” according to the initial statement provided by Cobb Police.

Police reiterated Friday that the teens were not students at nearby Sprayberry High School, as some social media speculation had suggested, and that the suspects “have no affiliation with any schools in the Cobb County School District.”

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