3 teens charged with arson for Chimney Lakes gazebo fire

Cobb Fire investigators say three 14-year-old boys have been charged with third-degree arson in connection with a fire that was set to the gazebo of the Chimney Lakes subdivision in East Cobb. Cobb Fire Department fireworks safety reminder

Chief investigator Brian Beaty said in a release Thursday that delinquency complaints were filed with the Juvenile Court of Cobb County on Wednesday.

He said that Cobb Fire and Emergency crews responded to an outdoor fire on July 7 around 5:38 p.m. at a residential address on Johnson Ferry Road near Chimney Lake Drive.

According to fire investigators, Cobb Fire staffers found the lakeside gazebo “involved by fire” and that preliminary findings indicated that the three males deliberately set the structure on fire.

Beaty said that anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Cobb Fire and Emergency Services at 770-499-3869.

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Cobb Police to hold job fair for officers, other positions

The Cobb Police Department is holding a job fair next weekend, June 10-11, for potential officer recruits for its police academy and other positions.Cobb Police job fair

The event takes place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days at the Cobb Police Department headquarters, 545 S. Fairground St., Marietta.

In addition to job interviews, candidates will go through a physical agility test, as well as a polygraph test and a psychological questionnaire.

Candidates should bring a state-issued ID, proper clothing for the agility test and any necessary medications, food and snacks.

Candidates are also asked to apply online in advance at JoinCobbPolice.com; computers will be available on site for applications.

Cobb PD has prepared the following video about the job fair: https://youtu.be/emGMIFeXCxY.

For questions and more information call 770-528-3812.

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East Cobb suspect arrested following wave of home burglaries

Cobb Police have arrested a man they say committed a home burglary in an affluent neighborhood in East Cobb last week, and as they and Marietta Police continue to investigate similar incidents.Northeast Cobb car crash, Cops on Donut Shops

Armando Casa-Rojas, of Argentina, has been charged with first-degree burglary following a burglary at a home off Old Canton Road near Roswell Road last Friday, according to an arrest warrant.

The warrant states that last Friday, May 6, around 9:30 p.m., Casa-Rojas broke into a home by breaking a window in the back, then locating and breaking open a safe.

The warrant also said that the suspect had four pry bars, a flashlight, a head lamp, a window punch and a pair of gloves inside a back pack.

Police were called to the scene and Casa-Rojas tried to get away, but he was apprehended by the police, according to the warrant.

He also has been charged with felony possession of tools for the commission of a crime and willful obstruction of a law enforcement officer.

According to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records, Casa-Rojas was booked in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center and remains there without bond.

Police have said they are investigating seven other similar burglaries, where homes are broken into at night and with no one home, targeting expensive homes and seeking items in safes, cash, jewelry and weapons.

They’ve said an organized, sophisticated burglary crew or crews have been operating in metro Atlanta in recent months. No other arrests have been made.

The arrest warrant for Casa-Rojas doesn’t state what items were taken from the home in East Cobb.

Cobb Police are encouraging homeowners to observe the following safety tips:

  • Lock your doors, including the one from the garage into the home.
  • Keep garage doors closed.
  • Use motion-sensor-activated exterior lighting.
  • Use surveillance cameras (they can be registered with the Cobb Police camera registry.
  • Turn on your audible alarm system if you have one.
  • Report suspicious persons and vehicles in your neighborhood.
Precinct 4 in East Cobb has a criminal investigations unit that investigates thefts and burglaries. For information call 770-499-4184.

East Cobb man sentenced in fatal Sandy Plains Road crash

A driver who slammed into another vehicle near Mountain View Elementary School more than two years ago, killing an elderly man, was sentenced to five years in prison this week.East Cobb man convicted

John James Hamm, now 45, also will serve 10 years on probation when he is released, according to filings in Cobb Superior Court.

He pleaded guilty on Monday to one charge vehicular homicide, after three other similar charges were merged into one. The sentence was handed down by Judge Lark Ingram.

According to his indictment, Hamm was driving an Infiniti on Sandy Plains Road near Davis Road on Feb. 23, 2020, when it struck a Mazda truck driven by John Spadafora, 91.

Cobb Police said at the time that Spadafora died after being taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital.

The indictment stated that as Spadafora was heading south on Sandy Plains, attempting to make a left turn onto Davis Road, he was hit by Hamm’s vehicle, heading north, that was weaving and traveling 20 miles over the posted speed limit of 45 mph,

Hamm also did not apply the brakes before the crash, according to the indictment, also states that Hamm was well over the legal alcohol limit. He was taken to Kennestone but had no life-threatening injuries.

Cobb Sheriff’s Office records indicate that Hamm was taken into custody Monday at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.

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Cobb rolls out new ‘World Class’ portal to tout Fire Department

East Cobber parade
A 2015 Pierce Arrow XT engine at Cobb Fire Station 21, one of two stations in the proposed City of East Cobb.

As voters in the proposed City of East Cobb vote on a referendum that would create a city with public safety services, Cobb County Government is tooting its own horn about its fire department.

The county has launched a special portal called “World Class Cobb Fire,” which explains how the Cobb Fire and Emergency Services Department is organized, including details of each major piece of equipment, a map of all stations and testimonials from personnel.

The portal’s homepage includes videos of firefighters and emergency staffers on the job, including a “day in the life” profile of a recruit coming off his first shift.

The reason for the splash page: the Cobb Fire Department is observing its 50th anniversary this year, and recently was reaccredited through 2027 by Commission on Fire Accreditation International.

Cobb also has has a top rating of 1 from the Insurance Services Office.

The ISO-1 designation is a rare one, and has been the subject of discussion in the run-up to the East Cobb Cityhood referendum on May 24.

East Cobb is the only of four proposed cities that would be providing police, fire and 911 services. Leaders of the cityhood effort said that although they weren’t proposed in legislation introduced last year, public safety services “continued to come up in various ways” when they began meeting with the public.

Cityhood opponents have claimed insurance rates would rise, saying a new city fire department would be unlikely to get an ISO-1 rating.

And county fire officials have said in town hall meetings that response times would likely increase inside a proposed City of East Cobb, which would be covered by current Cobb stations 21 (4400 Lower Roswell Road) and 15 (3892 Oak Lane).

While Cobb officials have said fire services in the proposed City of East Cobb would cost $12 million a year, a financial feasibility study conducted for the Commitee for East Cobb Cityhood estimates the annual expenses would come to $5.7 million.

The Cityhood group has fired back, accusing county officials of campaigning against the referendums, and demanded that they stop using county funds to hold town hall meetings and post information on another county government portal.

Cobb has ignored those calls, saying its Cityhood Resource Center is an objective response to public questions about the referendums.

The East Cobb Cityhood group has responded to some the Cobb Fire claims, saying residents of the proposed city are charged two to three times more for fire services than elsewhere in the county.

The cityhood supporters also said that in looking through Cobb Fire’s Strategic Plan, no capital improvements are included for stations 15 and 21. “Under funded and overcharged,” the cityhood group said. “Time for things to change.”

The World Class Cobb Fire portal indicates that Station 21 has a 2015 Pierce Arrow XT engine, a 2016 Pierce ladder truck, and a 2020 Ford F-450 Freedom Fire rescue truck.

Station 15 is equipped with a 2020 Pierce Enforcer engine.

In a flyer aimed at senior citizens, the cityhood group also says that “the city will have the ability to make targeted fire station improvements, which as of now Cobb County has no plans to improve. These benefits are extremely important for the safety and well-being of our seniors.”

The flyer also says a City of East Cobb would provide “improved ambulance transport times,” but doesn’t elaborate.

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Cobb DA’s Office to observe National Crime Victims’ Week

The Cobb County District Attorney’s Office is taking part in National Crime Victims’ Week (April 24-30) with several events designed to raise awareness about the issues and rights of crime victims.Cobb DA Office National Crime Victims Week 2022

The DA’s Victim Witness Unit will commemorate the advancement of victims’ rights with the presentation of a homicide memorial, a social media campaign and an office-wide virtual 5K walk.

Local non-profits agencies that provide support services to victims also will be recognized, including LiveSafe Resources, Inc. and Safepath Children’s Advocacy Center.

LiveSafe Resources provides the only emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence in Cobb County.

 Safepath Children’s Advocacy Center works with with law enforcement to provide a comprehensive approach to allegations of child abuse.

For more information about National Crime Victims’ Week visit the DA’s website; contact the DA’s Victim Witness Unit at 770-528-3042 to assist with crime victims.

The national event is being organized by Office of Victims of Crime and the National Organization for Victim Assistance.

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Ex-business partner of murdered East Cobb man gets 20 years

Ross Byrne, Ex-business partner sentenced murder East Cobb man
Ross Byrne

A former bakery owner charged with plotting the murder of his former roommate and business partner in East Cobb more than eight years ago was sentenced this week to 20 years in prison.

Ross Byrne, 58, pleaded guilty in Cobb Superior Court on April 8 to charges of violating the RICO Act, conspiracy to commit concealing a death, conspiracy to commit hindering apprehension of a suspect, and criminal solicitation to commit murder, according to the Cobb District Attorney’s Office.

The Cobb DA said in a release Tuesday that the sentence was handed down by Judge Mary Staley Clark.

Byrne was arrested in 2018 for his role in the death of Jerry Moore, who was found stabbed to death 32 times in his home off Holly Springs Road in January 2014.

They were partners in The Best Dang Bakery Around in Woodstock and both lived together for a time at Moore’s East Cobb home.

Byrne was charged two weeks after Johnathan Wheeler, an employee at the bakery, was convicted of killing Moore and sentenced to two consecutive life terms without parole.

Byrne’s indictment alleged that he plotted the killing after Moore wanted out of the business partnership because the bakery was financially struggling.

Jerry Moore
Jerry Moore

According to Byrne’s indictment and testimony presented in court, Byrne—who had since moved elsewhere—helped clean blood from Wheeler’s clothes after the murder and kept items stolen from Moore’s home.

Prosecutors said after the murder, Byrne became the sole owner of the bakery, which opened on Highway 92 in Woodstock in 2008.

Byrne had denied knowing anything about the murder, but prosecutors claimed in court that after Wheeler’s trial, Byrne asked an inmate to kill Wheeler, fearful he would testify against him.

The DA’s office said that in entering his guilty plea, Byrne admitted his roles in both plotting Moore’s murder and in wanting Wheeler killed.

“Despite having introduced Jerry Moore to his killer, this defendant showed absolutely no remorse for Johnathan Wheeler’s vicious killing,” said Cobb Senior Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Green said in the statement, who prosecuted the Wheeler and Byrne cases.

Wheeler is serving his sentences at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison in Jackson, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections.

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East Cobb family displaced after house fire in Indian Hills

Indian Hills house fire

Friends of an East Cobb family of six who lost their home in a house fire in Indian Hills on Monday are helping to raise funds for temporary needs and expenses.

Sadie Hixon, a senior at Walton High School, got in touch with East Cobb News to say that the Addess family—four girls and their parents—lost everything when their home was destroyed by fire and smoke.

“All of their furniture, personal belongings, and sentimental items were turned into dust,” said Sadie, a close friend of one of the Addess daughters. “It is unknown what caused the fire, but this family needs help. It is so hard to recover from these kinds of things emotionally and money wise.”

A GoFundMe has been started by Ephraim Silverman, the rabbi at the Chabad of Cobb synagogue, and has raised more than $30,000 in just two days.

The Cobb Fire and Emergency Services Department said on its Facebook page Monday that crews from nearby Station 21 and other locations arrived in five minutes, but three sides of the home were already engulfed in flames, along with thick black smoke.

The response included 28 personnel, four engines, one truck, one rescue vehicle, an air truck and a specialty unit.

Indian Hills house fire

The above photos were taken by Cobb Fire; Sadie has passed along the following photos of the interior of the destroyed home.

Indian Hills house fire

Indian Hills house fire

Indian Hills house fire

Indian Hills house fire

Indian Hills house fire

 

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East Cobb man sentenced to two life terms for child molestation

An East Cobb man arrested nearly four years ago on charges that he sexually abused his stepdaughter has been sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison.East Cobb man convicted

Marcelino Rebollar, 49, was sentenced on Tuesday by Cobb Superior Court Judge Henry Thompson, according to the Cobb District Attorney’s Office.

The DA’s office said that a Cobb jury last week found Rebollar guilty of two counts of aggravated child molestation and two counts of child molestation.

Rebollar, whose home address is on Freydale Road, was arrested on April 1, 2018, after being accused by his stepdaughter that he molested her from the ages of 10 to 13.

The Cobb DA’s office said the girl confided in her cousin and church pastor, leading to an investigation by police and forensic interviews at the Safepath Children’s Advocacy Center.

During the trial, the DA’s office said, evidence was presented from the victim and expert witnesses, and Rebollar was convicted on all counts.

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GBI: Vehicle stolen from dead S. Ga. woman seen in East Cobb

Johnson Ferry Road stolen vehicle murder scene
The GBI said a Hyundai Elantra spotted on Johnson Ferry Road Monday afternoon belonged to a south Georgia woman who was found dead in her home.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Tuesday that a vehicle stolen from a woman found dead in her South Georgia home on Monday has been spotted in the East Cobb area.

A GBI release Tuesday said a 2006 Black Hyundai Elantra was seen Monday afternoon along Johnson Ferry Road.

The Hyundai was seen near 313 Johnson Ferry Road at 12:22 p.m. Monday, according to the GBI.

That’s located near the intersection of Johnson Ferry and Powers Road, below Lower Roswell Road.

The GBI said the car, which has a temporary Georgia tag of C0521643, belonged to a woman who was found dead in her home in Dawson, Ga., on Monday.

The GBI said after 2 p.m. Monday, Dawson Police responded to a call of an unresponsive person at a home. When police arrived, according to the GBI, they found Annie Josie Chappell, 59, who was dead.

The GBI didn’t indicate how the woman died, nor did it provide any further information about the incident.

Dawson is located in Terrell County, near Albany.

The GBI is asking anyone with information to call the Dawson Police Department at 229-995-4414 or the GBI’s regional investigate office in Sylvester at 229-777-2080.

Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS(8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app. 

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Blackwell ES employee accused of eavesdropping in bathroom

Blackwell ES employee accused eavesdropping

An employee at Blackwell Elementary School in Northeast Cobb has been charged with eavesdropping and cruelty to children after Cobb Police said a student saw a surveillance camera in a boys bathroom this week and reported it to a teacher.

A warrant taken out on Friday against Justin Julian, 37, of Acworth, shows that he has been charged with three counts of unlawful surveillance and one count of first degree child cruelty—all felonies—after separate alleged incidents at the Canton Road school on Wednesday.

He was taken into custody on Friday and was released from the Cobb County Adult Detention Center Saturday on a $15,000 bond, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records.

The warrant alleges that Julian placed a camera in a boys bathroom and on Wednesday afternoon observed a 10-year-old boy using the urinal. According to the warrant, the boy saw the camera “and was distraught and notified a school teacher.”

The warrant also alleges that Julian watched an 8-year-old boy and another 10-year-old boy use the urinal via a bathroom camera during the same time period.

Neither the warrant nor a message that went out to the Blackwell community specified Julian’s job at the school.

The Blackwell message said that school officials reported the allegations “to the local authorities and worked closely with them throughout the investigation.”

The staff member, the Blackwell message said, “is no longer allowed in our school building.”

The warrant states that Julian was required to wear an ankle monitor before he was released and he is not allowed to have contract with children 16 or under, or linger anywhere children of that age range are present.

 

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Cobb Police shoot, kill man in NE Cobb domestic dispute

Cobb Police kill man NE Cobb domestic dispute
Photo courtesy Georgia Bureau of Investigation

Cobb Police said early Friday that officers shot and killed a man overnight at a home in Northeast Cobb after responding to a domestic dispute.

Public Information Officer Wayne Delk said in a release that shortly after midnight, police were called via 911 to a home at 4592 North Landing Drive.

That’s off Kemp Road near Trickum Road, and Delk said that when officers arrived they found a male at the residence with a large hunting knife.

“At some point the armed male presented a threat to the officers and was shot by officers,” Delk said.

The man died of his wounds, and nobody else was injured, including the officers, Delk said.

He provided no other details, including the identity of the man who was killed. The investigation is being turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is standard procedure in an officer-involved shooting.

UPDATED:

The GBI issued a release after 3 p.m. Friday and identified the man who was shot and killed by police as Joseph Wilbanks, 41, of Marietta.

According to the release, an officer shot Wilbanks after he advanced toward police with the knife.

The release said the 911 call was made to Cobb Police in regarding a domestic dispute involving a suicidal man, but didn’t indicate if that was Wilbanks.

The GBI said after its investigation is complete, its report will be submitted to the Cobb County District Attorney’s office.

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East Cobb investment advisor accused of $110M Ponzi scheme

An investment advisor who’s been active in youth sports and community activities in East Cobb is being accused of running an extensive Ponzi scheme by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.East Cobb man convicted

According to an SEC complaint filed on Aug. 20, John J. Woods and others are accused of raising more than $110 million from more than 400 investors in 20 states over the last decade by selling investments in several investment funds, but that turned out to be fraudulent.

Woods is a former chairman of the Walton Touchdown Club and was a member of the original East Cobb Cityhood committee in 2019. He is is not listed among the current group of committee members leading a revived cityhood effort for the 2022 Georgia legislative session.

A native of Tennessee, Woods is the owner of the Chattanooga Lookouts minor league baseball team and also has been the head of the Friends of Chastain Park Foundation in Atlanta, according to an older Southport Company biography.

That appears to be the only mention of him, as he is no longer listed on its leadership team.

Woods and others are accused of violating provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

In an emergency action, the SEC on Tuesday received a temporary restraining order from the U.S. District Court for Northern Georgia to freeze the assets of Woods and two entities he controls: Livingston Group Asset Management Company, d/b/a Southport Capital, and investment fund Horizon Private Equity III, LLC.

Those are investment funds SEC investigators say that investors, many of them retirees, placed their money and where they were told it would be ” safe, would be used for different investment activities, would pay a fixed rate of return, and that investors could get their principal back without penalty after a short waiting period,” according to an SEC release.

However, the release continued, “these statements were false and misleading: Horizon did not earn any significant profits from legitimate investments, and a very large percentage of purported ‘returns’ to earlier investors were simply paid out of new investor money. The complaint also alleges that Woods repeatedly lied to the SEC during regulatory examinations of Southport.”

According to the SEC complaint, Woods and his team promised investors returns of 6-7 percent interest, and that the money would be invested in government bonds, stocks and small real estate projects.

The SEC alleges that the investors were not being told that their money was being used to pay previous investors, and said Horizon “has not earned any significant profits from legitimate investments; instead a very large percentage of purported ‘returns’ to earlier investors were simply paid out of new investor money.”

The SEC concluded that the assets of Southport and Horizon are worth too little to have any realistic chance of paying back investors.

The SEC said at the end of July 2021, Horizon had liquid assets of only $16 million.

In seeking emergency relief, the SEC said Woods and Horizon through Southport’s advisors have raised more than $600,000 a month in new investments “during the most recent months for which the Commission has been able to obtain bank records. The Commission believes that additional victims are being defrauded on a daily basis.”

The SEC also accuses Woods of concealing his ownership of Southport from 2008-2018 because he was working at another investment firm.

David Chaiken, an attorney for Woods, told East Cobb News that “we were pleased with the Court’s decision not to place Southport into receivership or restrain its assets. Going forward, we are going to let the judicial process play out and limit any further comments or information to the courtroom at this time.”

The SEC said the investigation is continuing.

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Cobb country club triple homicide suspect arrested in Chamblee

A man wanted for the shooting deaths of three men at Pinetree Country Club on Saturday has been arrested, Cobb Police said early Thursday evening.Northeast Cobb car crash, Cops on Donut Shops

A spokeswoman for the Cobb Sheriff’s Office said that agency, the U.S. Marshall’s Office Southern Regional Task Force and Chamblee Police arrested a man identified as Bryan Rhoden in Chamblee at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

The spokeswoman said the suspect was being questioned by Cobb Police.

Cobb Police Chief Tim Cox held a brief press conference Thursday evening, but said little about the details of the triple homicide or a motive, citing an ongoing investigation.

He said Rhoden has been charged with three counts of murder, three counts of aggravated assault, and two counts of kidnapping.

Cox said police investigators obtained an arrest warrant Thursday afternoon for Rhoden, whom he said has ties to metro Atlanta, and whom they believe is “the lone shooter.”

Gene Siller, 46, the director of golf at Pinetree Country Club, was pronounced dead at the 10th hole of the golf course Saturday afternoon after suffering gunshot wounds, police said, adding that he had been alerted to a white Ram pickup truck that was located on the green.

Police said two other men, Paul Pierson, 76, of Kansas, and Henry Valdez, 46, of California, were found shot to death in the back of the truck. Police said Pierson was the registered owner of the vehicle.

Police said Wednesday that they believe that Siller was killed because he witnessed a crime in progress, but did not elaborate.

They also said Wednesday that they didn’t think the suspect was a threat to the general public.

Cox declined to answer questions Thursday evening about how police identified Rhoden as a suspect, saying only that “his name came up within a few days” of the shooting.

He also would not describe the chain of events that took place at Pinetree on Saturday, saying that “at this time I’m not going to release any information about that.”

He said only that the discovery of the bodies of the two men in the pickup was made “in a pretty rapid time frame.” But when asked to provide details of the kidnapping, Cox declined to take any more questions.

He said citizens have been helpful in providing tips, and said he understood why “some members of the public have felt some frustration” about the lack of information about a triple murder.

But Cox said that a successful arrest and prosecution in this case is the primary objective in a homicide investigation that remains active.

UPDATED:

At his first court appearance Friday night, Rhoden was ordered to be held without bond by a magistrate judge. His next court date is July 27.

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Cobb Police: Country club homicide suspect ‘not an active threat to the public’

Cobb Police said Tuesday they’re still seeking a suspect in a triple homicide that took at Pinetree Country Club near Kennesaw on Saturday.Northeast Cobb car crash, Cops on Donut Shops

Sgt. Wayne Delk, a Cobb Police spokesman, said in a release that “current information reveals there is not an active threat to the public at large and there was not a directed threat to residents of the neighborhood.”

He didn’t elaborate further and no description of the unidentified suspect has been provided.

Gene Siller, 46, the golfing director at Pinetree, was found with a shotgun wound to the head on the 10th hole of the course around 2:20 p.m. Saturday afternoon, and was pronounced dead on the scene.

Two other men were found dead in the back of a white Ram 3500 pick-up truck that was also located on the 10th green.

Delk said Tuesday that detectives believe that Siller was caught up in a “crime in progress” involving the suspect and the other two men.

“It does not appear Siller was in any way targeted, but rather was killed because he witnessed an active crime taking place,” Delk said in a Cobb Police statement Tuesday.

One of the other men who died was identified as Paul Pierson, 76, of Kansas, whom police said was the registered owner of the pickup truck. The other victim was not identified but police said he’s believed to be Hispanic.

UPDATE: Cobb Police said Wednesday that the other victim in the truck has been identified as Henry Valdez, 46, of California.

Those two men, Delk said, “appear to have no relation to the location at all.” He said that “we are aware that the public has many questions, the most pressing one being why this happened; however, it is too early in the investigation to speculate as to motive.”

Delk said that anyone with information should contact Cobb Police detectives at 770-499-4111 or at cobbpolicecrimetips@cobbcounty.org.

A fundraiser has been established for Siller’s family that’s already raised most of the $500,000 goal.

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Woman arrested after toddler found in Chattahoochee River

Toddler found Chattahoochee River
GBI sketch by Kelly Johnson.

Cobb Police said Friday they’ve arrested a Stone Mountain woman and charged her with concealing the death of another person after a toddler’s body was recovered from the banks of the Chattahoochee River in Cobb County on Thursday.

Sgt. Wayne Delk, a Cobb Police spokesman, said in a release that Breyania Cooper, 27, was booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center and is being held without bond.

Police said Cobb Fire and rescue personnel conducting a training session along the Chattahoochee River discovered the body of an unidentified child between the ages of 1 and 3 on Thursday morning in the Palisades Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (3444 Cobb Parkway).

Cobb Police and National Park Service Rangers were called to the scene and the Cobb Police Crimes Against Persons Unit got involved, according to police, who said the child’s body was placed in the custody of the Cobb County Medical Examination.

Police said that they believe that the child’s body was in the water “for more than a day or two” and it’s possible the child could have been missing from a location north of Cobb County.

Police said they are asking for the public’s help in identifying the child, and late Friday afternoon released a Georgia Bureau of Investigation artist’s sketch of the child.

Delk said Friday police have not established a connection between the child and Cooper, but that tips from the public led to identifying her as a suspect.

toddler's body found Chattahoochee River
A toddler’s body was found off Cobb Parkway in the Palisades Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Source: Open Street Map.

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East Cobb Tijuana Joe’s reopens after roof fire

East Cobb Tijuana Joe's

The Tijuana Joe’s restaurant in East Cobb reopened for business Thursday after closing for nearly 24 hours due to a fire.

Management said in social media postings that it had received numerous messages from citizens and passers-by late Wednesday morning about seeing fire trucks at the standalone building at 690 Johnson Ferry Road.

A small fire started on top of the building around 11:45 a.m. Wednesday and that it was HVAC-related, Tijuana Joe’s said.

“No guests were in the restaurant when this occurred, so that is a blessing,” the message stated. “Our entire team was able to get out of the restaurant safely before anything could worsen, too.”

Stephen Bennett, a spokesman for Cobb Fire, said that the fire was limited to the HVAC area on the roof, and that “crews investigated and eliminated the hazard.”

Tijuana Joe’s management told East Cobb News Wednesday afternoon it was still receiving the go-ahead to reopen: “We are hoping to be only closed for the day, but we are abiding by all rules.”

Around 10:30 a.m. Thursday, the restaurant again posted on social media saying the restaurant was back open for business. “We truly appreciate everyone’s patience during yesterday’s unexpected incident. We look forward to seeing you all for trivia tonight!”

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‘Crawling burglar’ suspect charges include Tokyo Valentino theft

Tokyo Valentino East Cobb

An Atlanta man alleged to have crawled his way into numerous Cobb County businesses since last fall by breaking or removing windows is accused of stealing more than $21,000 in money and merchandise from the Tokyo Valentino store in East Cobb.

According to an arrest warrant dated June 1, Aron Jermaine Major, 47, burglarized the adult retail business on Johnson Ferry Road early in the morning of Oct. 20, 2020, taking lingerie, sex enhancement pills, CBD products, sex toys and gift cards.

He’s facing more than a dozen burglary and related charges for a spree that Cobb Police said began last September and continued through mid-March of this year.

A dozen warrants were taken out against Major on June 1 for those and other offenses, following a search warrant at his residence, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records, which indicate the suspect was taken into custody on that date and remains at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.

An arrest warrant for Major states that the Tokyo Valentino burglary took place shortly after 6 a.m. on Oct. 20, with a suspect removing a window pane on the side of the store building (1290 Johnson Ferry Road) to gain entry.

The store manager reported to police that 61 lingerie sets were missing, as were 400 male sex enhancement pills, five pairs of high heels, two fetish straps, two doorway sex swings, 25 sex toys, 500 $25 gift cards, 17 bottles of CBD oil and tincture, six tins of Kratom powder and nearly $1,000 in cash.

The warrant further states that when police got a search warrant for Major’s residence on June 1, they found 447 packets of male sex enhancement pills and a door sex swing, items that the Tokyo Valentino manager verified were from the East Cobb store.

The same warrant states that after leaving Tokyo Valentino on Oct. 20, the suspect tried to go inside the Starbuck’s Coffee shop at 2424 Roswell Road, near East Piedmont Road, by removing a glass window pane and leaving it in a dumpster.

That’s in the vicinity of an oil change shop and a restaurant Major is accused of burglarizing on March 3-4, 2021, according to the warrants.

A warrant states that a man broke into the Havoline Express Oil Change (2525 Roswell Road) between 7 p.m. March 3 and 7:30 a.m. March 4 by removing glass in the front of the business, taking money from a register and replacing the window.

At Peace, Love and Pizza (1050 E. Piedmont Road), another glass window was removed, and the suspect was captured by a surveillance video crawling on the floor to reach a register and taking more than $2,000.

“The images seen on CCTV (clothes, height, weight) as well as the modus operandi is that of the said accused and has been seen in burglaries in multiple other burglaries as indicated” in the warrants, that particular warrant states.

The warrants show that on the same day, March 4, Major burglarized two restaurants on Lower Roswell Road, Ming’s Asian Kitchen and Red Curry Thai.

The suspect took cash from Ming’s (4665 Lower Roswell Road) by breaking into a back door by breaking glass around 11 a.m. and taking a register, the warrant states. At Red Curry Thai (4724 Lower Roswell Road), according to the warrant, the suspect removed a glass pane from the front door to gain access and took cash from a register.

Three other East Cobb restaurants were burglarized by Major during his spree, according to the warrants: The Wing Cafe and Tap House and Fuji Hana on Sept. 22, 2020, and a Mellow Mushroom restaurant on March 18, 2021.

On Sept. 22, shortly after 5 a.m., a warrant states that Major cut away a glass pane at The Wing Cafe (2145 Roswell Road) and pried open a locked door, then attempted to remove a safe. The warrant states that he failed, but managed to open an ATM machine inside the restaurant and took $300 in cash.

Roughly an hour later, the warrant states Major smashed open a pane of glass to enter Fuji Hana (1255 Johnson Ferry Road), and was seen on a video camera stealing a safe and putting it on a rolling cart. The suspect was seen taking cash out of a register and rolling the safe on the cart to the parking lot and leaving with them.

The June 1 search warrant indicated that police discovered business checks from Fuji Hana in Major’s possession.

The last incident that has been connected to Major was a burglary at Mellow Mushroom (2000 Powers Ferry Road) between 5:55 a.m. and 6:18 a.m. on March 18. That warrant states that a male removed a glass panel from the front of the restaurant and crawled inside, looking for cash, alcohol and cigarettes.

Other businesses named in the warrants include restaurants and retail shops in the Town Center, Marietta and Acworth areas.

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GBI identifies suspect killed by Cobb Police in Sunday shooting

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting death of a man Cobb Police said shot at one of their officers before he was killed by police Sunday afternoon in northwest Cobb.GBI drug trafficking arrests NE Cobb home search

The GBI said in a release late Monday morning that Luis Rey Ruiz, 20, died at the scene after being shot by Cobb Police during a manhunt on North Shores Road.

That’s close to the residential address of a 911 call reported to authorities around 3:30 p.m. regarding an alleged domestic dispute, according to the GBI.

GBI spokeswoman Natalie Ammons said that when Cobb Police arrived at a home at 5866 North Shores Road in Acworth, a man later identified as Rey shot at one of the officers.

Ruiz then ran from the scene, and Cobb Police deployed a SWAT unit in pursuit, according to the GBI, which said that officers found him at 5870 North Shores Road. Ammons said that several officers shot at Ruiz and he died on the scene, and police later found a firearm next to him.

She said the Cobb County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy on Ruiz.

The GBI said the officer he is alleged to have shot during the initial call is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to recover.

As is the case in officer-involved shootings, the GBI will conduct an investigation and turn over its findings to the Cobb District Attorney’s Office.

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East Cobb man indicted for shooting at police in standoff

An East Cobb man charged with shooting at police officers during a standoff at his home last fall has been indicted on 14 felony counts by a Cobb grand jury.East Cobb grandfather sentenced

The Cobb District Attorney’s office said that that Donald Terry Welborn was indicted on Thursday on nine counts of aggravated assault against a police officer, three counts of aggravated assault and two counts of possessing a firearm while committing a felony.

Welborn, 57, was arrested at his home on Kingsley Drive (off Post Oak Tritt Road and near Johnson Ferry Road) on Sept. 22, 2020, hours after neighbors began hearing shots from his residence around 5:30 a.m.

Cobb Police, including a SWAT unit, arrived on the scene, beginning a standoff that closed off the New Castle neighborhood for the rest of the morning.

During the standoff, police said Welborn shot at multiple officers as negotiators tried to get him to come out of the home. According to the indictment, Welborn took aim at nine different officers.

He was taken into custody about six hours later with no injuries and was charged with eight felony counts, police said.

Welborn remains at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without bond, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office booking records.

In February, Welborn’s attorney attempted to have his client’s case assigned to a mental health court, but that request was turned down by the Cobb District Attorney’s office.

According to Cobb Superior Court records, assistant district attorney Maurice Brown told Robert Citronberg that “Defendant’s offense does not appear to be sufficiently connected to Defendant’s health diagnosis” but did not elaborate.

According to a criminal warrant taken out against Welborn, he went into a bedroom where Susan Welborn was sleeping, then shot at a ceiling fan.

Cobb court records indicate that she is Welborn’s wife, but they had been separated. Susan Welborn filed for divorce in Cobb Superior Court on the same day of the shootings.

The warrant also states that Welborn was inside his residence when he shot at the homes of two neighbors, one next door and another across the street, striking their homes, before police arrived.

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