East Cobb Crime & Fire

Cobb traffic suspect injured by his own gun in police clash

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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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Woman’s remains found along Chattahoochee in 1984 identified

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Cobb Police said Monday that the remains of a woman whose body was found along the Chattahoochee River 41 years ago have been finally identified.Woman's remains found along Chattahoochee in 1984 identified

Police said that the woman’s name was Veronica Jane Miller, and she would have been 61 years old. She was from Mableton, close to where her body was found near the river on May 10, 1984.

Miller was 20 years old at the time of her death, which was ruled to be a homicide, and her family has been notified of the identification, Cobb Police said Monday.

A combination of old-fashioned investigating techniques and more recent technology helped authorities identify Miller, whose case was recently reopened by the Cobb Police Crimes Against Persons Cold Case Unit.

According to DNASolves, a website that tracks such cases and that uses the testing platforms of Othram Labs, a private forensic genetic genealogy laboratory and technology company, this is the 24th Georgia “Jane Doe” identification, and is the second-oldest.

It’s also the second such cold-case identification of a murder victim in Cobb County in as many years.

Last year, Marietta Police identified the remains of a woman found dead in 1993 at a construction site off Scufflegrit Road as Patricia Howard, who had gone missing in 1980, shortly after moving from Los Angeles.

For years, Miller had been known to investigators only as Cobb County Jane Doe (1984), and in 2012 her case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System database, after a traditional DNA profiling process turned up no matches.

Police said that Miller’s body was found in a wooded area near the Chattahoochee three months after her death, and it was transported to the Cobb Medical Examiner’s Office.

But the autopsy did not reveal an identification, nor the cause or manner of her death. DNA testing was submitted to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Miller’s DNA profile was entered into the CODIS (Combined DNA Index System), NDIS (National DNA Index System), as well as the NAMUS databases.

“For decades, no positive matches were found,” Cobb Police said in the release, which said that as the case was reopened, Othram Labs, which works with law enforcement agencies, was consulted to develop a more sophisticated profile that initially identified distant relatives of the deceased.

“However, these results were insufficient for conclusive identification,” police added.

Further police investigations yielded a DNA sample from Miller’s possible half-sister, and Othram Labs “confirmed a close maternal match between the sample and the decedent’s DNA establishing a strong familial link.”

Cobb Police said that Cobb Chief Medical Examiner Christopher Gulledge reviewed the available evidence—”including genetic genealogy results, DNA confirmation, and supporting testimony from family”—and confirmed Miller’s identity.

Police said the case remains under active investigation and anyone with information is asked to call the Cobb County Police Department Major Crimes Unit at (770) 499-3945.

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Sandy Plains Road Waffle House employees attacked by teens

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xSandy Plains Road Waffle House employees attacked by teens
Screengrab from a surveillance camera shows a Waffle House employee (in blue shirt) in a fight with a teen who jumped the counter, as other teens look on.

Videos posted on social media over the weekend show a group of teenagers physically attacking employees at a Waffle House in East Cobb.

The videos—both of which have since been deleted—showed several teens at a Waffle House at 2720 Sandy Plains Road threatening and then attacking employees.

Cobb Police said in a release Monday that the incident occurred early Sunday morning, near 2 a.m., but didn’t what prompted the attacks.

East Cobb News was sent links to the videos posted on Reddit and Nextdoor and viewed them before they were taken down.

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

Several other teens looked on from just inside the entrance, and police said that witnesses told them that that the teens 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 in the release.

“One victim was placed in a headlock and struck multiple times in the head. Several patrons attempted to intervene.”

One of the social media postings alleged that the teens had come to the Waffle House after attending nearby Sprayberry High School’s home football game on Friday.

But police said in the release that the incident was two days after that game, and “at this time, no direct connection that these suspects are current, or former Sprayberry High School students has been confirmed.”

Police did not indicate if anyone has been charged or arrested, but said that “detectives are working to identify all individuals involved.”

Anyone with information is asked Cobb County Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Unit at (770)499-4184.

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Crime Watch: Three Northeast Cobb restaurants burglarized

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East Cobb Crime Watch: Fat Lady Baker, other businesses robbed

Nancy McKinney, owner of the Fat Lady Baker cafe in Northeast Cobb, tells us that she was among the restaurantEast Cobb Crime Watch: Fat Lady Baker, other businesses robbed victims of what’s apparently a burglary spree earlier this week.

She sent us the surveillance photo of who she said is the suspect, and who “used a crowbar to get through the back doors and stole cash” and was hopeful of someone being able to identify him.

Another nearby business was robbed as well, the Aapka Food Adda Indian restaurant that’s adjacent in the same shopping center, she said. McKinney mentioned that a Mexican restaurant in the Shallowford-Trickum area also was robbed, “but the police were not sure if that is related yet.”

Sgt. Eric Smith, public information officer with Cobb Police, told East Cobb News that detectives are investigating to see if the three restaurant burglaries are related, and that a suspect has not been identified.

He said the other robbery was at El Serranto Taqueria, at 2520 Shallowford Road.

Fat Lady Baker sells bakery products and prepared meals to the public, and is open during daytime hours Tuesday-Saturday.

It’s in the same retail center with other small businesses, including Montana’s Bar and Grill and the Mzizi coffee shop.

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Update: Fundraiser started for owner of Chin Chin restaurant

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Update: Fundraiser started for owner of Chin Chin restaurant
Inside the burned-out remains of the Chin Chin restaurant, which is considered a total loss. Photos by Sabrina Gao.

Following Tuesday’s devastating fire that destroyed the longstanding Chin Chin restaurant in East Cobb, the daughter of the restaurant’s owner has started a fundraiser.

Sabrina Gao set up a GoFundMe page and said of her mother, Jasmine Chen, that “I would really like to surprise her and try to help her rebuild everything.”

Chen has owned Chin Chin for the last 15 years, and was called to the scene in the early morning hours Tuesday as the standalone restaurant on 617 Johnson Ferry Road burned to ground.

Cobb Fire said 911 calls came shortly after 1 a.m. In her GoFundMe message, Gao said that she woke up to her mother on a phone call telling her about the fire, and she soon followed.

“I took my sister with me and drove to her restaurant at 2 in the morning. . . . My family is devastated.”

Gao, who attended Walton High School, said the restaurant became something of a second home for her and her siblings, who grew up without their father around.

“It makes me sad to think about how my mom feels. . . . My mom would always take me and my siblings to ChinChin to watch after us since she didn’t want us to be home alone.”

Gao has set a fundraising goal of $15,000, and has raised nearly $2,000 in the first day.

Cobb Fire said the restaurant’s roof collapsed and the fire spread quickly, and with more than 30 firefighters on the scene the blaze took nearly five hours to put out. The cause is still being investigated, according to district chief Justin Green.

“She is lost right now without a clue on what to do,” Gao said of her mother. “Lots of people lost their jobs today, but my family and I lost our homes today.”

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East Cobb’s Chin Chin Chinese restaurant destroyed by fire

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UPDATED:

The daughter of the restaurant’s owner has started a fundraiser: “I would really like to surprise her and try to help her rebuild everything.”

ORIGINAL REPORT:

A fire has destroyed most of the standalone building that has been the home of the Chin Chin Chinese restaurant in East Cobb for nearly three decades.

The early Tuesday morning blaze consumed most the restaurant’s facility at 617 Johnson Ferry Road.

It’s located just south of Lower Roswell Road and across from the entrance to Parkaire Landing Shopping Center, in between a Waffle House and Dunkin Donuts.

Cobb District Fire Chief Justin Green told East Cobb News that a 911 call was received around 1 a.m. Tuesday, and firefighters arrived on the scene a few minutes later to find smoke and fire coming through the roof of the building.

Crews were inside when the roof collapsed, and the fire took five hours to contain, with more than 300,000 gallons of water needed to put it out.

Green said around 35 firefighters and other personnel were on the scene—five engines, three ladder trucks, a rescue vehicle and two battalion chiefs—and that no one was injured.

Two lanes of Johnson Ferry Road southbound were closed while fire crews were on the scene early Tuesday morning.

Green said the cause of the fire is still being investigated, and that it might take longer than is usual due to the roof collapse.

 

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Cobb Police: Fired officer exposed himself at Kincaid ES

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Cobb Police: Fired officer exposed himself at Kincaid ES

A Cobb Police officer fired this week for distributing obscene materials, public indecency and violating his oath of office is alleged to have committed those offenses while on duty in Precinct 4 in East Cobb.

An arrest warrant for Matthew Abbott, 36, said that the offenses occurred in February and in June and included sending electronic messages depicting child pornography and exposing himself in public, including the parking lot at Kincaid Elementary School in Northeast Cobb earlier this summer.

Cobb Police said Thursday that Abbott was “relieved of duty” after a Georgia Bureau of Investigation probe, and after being notified by the Utah Attorney General’s Office about an investigation identifying him.

Interim Cobb Police Chief Dan Ferrell said Thursday that “the allegations in this case are extremely disturbing and do not reflect the values of our department,” but neither Cobb Police nor the GBI detailed the charges in their public statements.

Abbott was arrested at his Marietta home Thursday morning on one count of violating his oath of office, a felony, and one count of distribution of obscene materials and two counts of public indecency, which are misdemeanors. He remains in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without bond, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office booking reports.

His arrest warrant said that on Feb. 5, Abbott sent electronic messages “describing explicit sexual acts with children between the ages of 8 and 12 years old, knowing the obscene nature of said material” to an unidentified person while on duty at the Precinct 4 headquarters on Lower Roswell Road.

Abbott also is accused of “performing an act of lewd exposure of his sexual organs in a public place” while on duty in the parking lot at Kincaid ES on the afternoon of June 2. The warrant doesn’t state if anyone else was present, but that date was during the Cobb County School District summer break.

The warrant also alleges that on June 9, Abbott also exposed himself and masturbated in the parking lot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on New Macland Road in Powder Springs, also while on duty.

Abbott could be facing further charges, according to Cobb Police, who said they have turned over all investigative duties to the GBI “to ensure a fair and impartial process.”

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