East Cobb Crime & Fire Archives

East Cobb man gets life sentence for killing home contractor

March 30, 2021 5:33 PM by Wendy Parker

Larry Epstein, East Cobb man gets life sentence — *Larry Epstein has been in custody since the March 6, 2019 shootings at his home on Wellington Lane.*

An East Cobb homeowner set to go on trial next month for shooting a home contractor to death and seriously wounding another has been sentenced to life in prison.

During a plea hearing in Cobb Superior Court on Tuesday, Larry Epstein, 70, pleaded guilty but mentally ill to murder, aggravated assault and possession of a weapon while committing a felony, according to the Cobb District Attorney’s office.

He has been in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center since March 2019 for shooting Jake Horne, then 21, and Gordon Montcalm, then 38, who were leaving his home after doing some electrical contracting work.

Horne was sitting in a van outside Epstein’s home on Wellington Lane off Johnson Ferry Road on March 6, 2019 when he was shot execution-style in the head with a .22-caliber handgun with a suppressor, according to the Cobb DA’s office.

According to statements at Tuesday’s hearing, Montcalm was getting ready to leave in another vehicle and tried to get away, but Epstein fired his gun at him several times.

According to testimony offered at Tuesday’s hearing, Epstein’s wife arrived at the home just before police arrived, and Montcalm screamed at her that Epstein had shot him and Horne.

The Cobb DA’s office said Montcalm escaped to a neighboring home and wounds to his face, back and arms were treated by a nurse living at that home and who called 911.

Horne was taken off life support the following day at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, where Montcalm was hospitalized with long recovery.

“Epstein executed Jake, robbing him of life’s most precious experiences—owning a home, getting married, having children—at the young age of 21. And even though Montcalm survived, he is forever scarred, both physically and emotionally,” said Jesse Evans, the Cobb deputy chief assistant district attorney.

Horne’s uncle John Savell told the court the loss of his nephew leaves an “unfillable void,” according to the Cobb DA’s office, which said Montcalm did not attend the hearing but supported the case being resolved without a trial.

Cobb jury trials are set to resume in April after nearly a year of backlogs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier this month Epstein’s attorney tried to delay the trial until August, saying that his client wanted to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before having a trial. Cobb Superior Court Judge Ann Harris also had ordered a psychiatric evaluation of Epstein, whose attorney has said in court filings suffers from mental illness.

At Tuesday’s hearing, prosecutors said that after officers arrived at the Epstein home, they discovered a surveillance camera video that showed part of the murder.

Police blocked off the street, and the Cobb DA’s office said that after Epstein surrendered peacefully, he waived his Miranda rights.

Testimony introduced at the hearing said during a search warrant at Epstein’s home, officers found firearms, including the murder weapon and the suppressor hidden in the garage.

Prosecutors aid the handgun was “positively linked by ballistics testing to the shootings of Horne and Montcalm.”

The day after Epstein’s arrest, his wife filed for divorce.

Harris called the incident an “irreparable tragedy” as she issued the life sentence.

Attorney for East Cobb murder defendant seeks continuance

March 22, 2021 4:00 PM by Wendy Parker

Jake Horne, East Cobb shooting victim, East Cobb man indicted murder — *Home contractor Jake Horne died after being shot on a job at an East Cobb home in March 2019.*

The attorney for an East Cobb man charged with murdering a home contractor in March 2019 and badly wounding another worker is seeking a continuance in his upcoming trial.

Larry Epstein, now 71, has been ordered to go on trial in Cobb Superior Court in April, when jury trials are allowed to resume following lengthy COVID-19 delays.

But David Willingham, Epstein’s lawyer, filed a motion on Thursday seeking to delay the trial until August so his client can be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Judge Ann Harris issued an order on March 12 for Epstein to appear in person for his trial. Last week she also called for a psychiatric evaluation. In December, Willingham filed a motion seeking a plea of mental incompetence.

Willingham said in his motion last week that Epstein has not been offered an opportunity to be vaccinated at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, where he has been in custody for more than two years. During his incarceration, Willingham said, Epstein has faced several health issues and has been hospitalized twice.

Epstein is “in a high-risk category for complications should he contract COVID-19,” Willingham said in his motion. He said his client is “ready, willing, able and eager” to be vaccinated and develop antibodies “before he is physically compelled to be present in a public court room with a jury of his peers—strangers from the community whose exposure to COVID-19 and overall health, including the health of others, the Court has no way to properly vet.”

Judges and court staff have been eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine since last Wednesday.

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Epstein was indicted in May 2019 for murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm while committing a felony in the death of Jake Horne, 21 of Kennesaw, and the shooting of Gordon Montcalm, then 37, of Buchanan, Ga.

They were finishing up their job as electrical contractors at Epstein’s home in the Wellington neighborhood off Johnson Ferry Road on March 6, 2019 when Cobb Police said Epstein shot them with a .220-caliber handgun, according to his indictment.

Police sealed off the neighborhood on Wellington Lane after getting a call for a possible active shooter, deploying SWAT units and its mobile command center to the scene.

Epstein surrendered peacefully a short time later, after Horne and Montcalm were rushed to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, police said at the time.

Horne was pronounced dead the following day from a gunshot wound to the head. Montcalm was shot five times and faced a long recovery.

During a court hearing in March 2019, police said video surveillance camera footage indicated Epstein was enraged about his pets being harmed, although they said couldn’t find any evidence of that.

In his December motion, Willingham said Epstein has a history of mental illness and suffers from paranoid delusions, including telling family members he tried to commit suicide in jail “when in fact he had not.”

Harris’ order calls for the psychiatric evaluation to indicate “whether or not the accused had the mental capacity to distinguish right from wrong” and “whether or not the presence of a delusional compulsion overmastered the accuser’s will to resist committing the alleged act.”

On Monday, Cobb deputy chief assistant district attorney Jesse Evans filed a motion to prevent the defense from introducing expert psychiatric witness testimony, saying it hasn’t received an expert report in timely fashion. Evans asked the court to impose an April 5 deadline for that report.

Willingham didn’t reference Epstein’s mental health matters in his motion for a continuance last week. He said that given the chance for further COVID-19 and other delays, his client “understands this case may not occur until well after August 2021.”

Cobb schools Code Red alert investigated as cyber attack

February 24, 2021 3:44 PM by Wendy Parker

The Cobb County School District said Wednesday that its emergency alert system that was set off on Feb. 2, prompting a brief Code Red lockdown at all schools, was not a false alarm but a deliberate cyber attack.

The district said in a news release that what’s being investigated as a cyber crime by the Cobb Police Department is continuing.

Spokeswoman Nan Kiel said in the release that the district can’t reveal more details, but “we have been given permission to share the Technology Based Crimes Unit’s conclusion that the false alarm signal occurred through a targeted, external attack of CCSD’s AlertPoint system.”

AlertPoint is an emergency alert system which allows each employee within a school—including administrators, teachers and other staffers—to activate a device should an emergency occur. This includes fires, active shooters and other intruders, physical altercations and medical emergencies.

The system was implemented starting in 2017 and is one component of the district’s CobbShield emergency and safety program developed in recent years.

When an AlertPoint device is activated, alert information is relayed via computer and mobile devices to school-level administrators and security personnel, as well as at the school district office, within seconds.

The location and identity of the person sending the alert also is transmitted. When a “Code Red” alert is triggered, flashing lights, beeping sounds and voice messages ring out, and the intercom system indicates a lockdown situation is underway.

The AlertPoint system is patterned after existing school fire emergency procedures.

After the Feb. 2 incident in which AlertPoint was triggered at all 112 schools, the district said the cause was a systemwide malfunction and that no students or staff were threatened.

On Wednesday, however, the district said it immediately asked for police assistance in investigating the matter as a possible cyber attack.

“Fairly quickly, it appeared that the false alarm signal (1) was intentionally triggered rather than a malfunction, and (2) was uniquely limited to the AlertPoint system in CCSD,” according to the statement, which said the district then contacted police,

“We do not yet know the motives of those attacking the District’s AlertPoint system,” Wednesday’s district statement said, which did not indicate possible suspects.

“However, it appears the crime was committed to disrupt education across the District, create district-wide chaos, and produce anxiety in the District’s students, parents, and staff. This was not a ‘prank,’ nor will it be treated like one.”

Kiel said that anyone with information related to the cyber attack is asked to contact the Cobb County Police Department’s Tip Line at 770-499-4111 or the CCSD Police Department’s Tip Line at 470-689-0298.

Grand jury clears Cobb officer in deadly shooting of black teen

February 18, 2021 7:47 PMFebruary 18, 2021 7:14 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb grand jury clears officer — *“As an African-American, you hate to see an African-American shot down,” Cobb District Attorney Flynn Broady said Thursday. “But the fact is we have to follow the law.”*

Cobb County District Attorney Flynn Broady said Thursday he will not prosecute a Cobb Police officer who fatally shot a black teenager last summer after a grand jury declined to return an indictment.

Broady said at a press conference at the Cobb Police Training Academy in Austell that as far as he is concerned, the case involving the officer who shot and killed Vincent Truitt, 17, last July 13 after a traffic chase, is closed.

Broady’s remarks came after the grand jury deliberated all day Thursday to review police reports from the officers and video camera footage taken from police vehicles and body and surveillance cameras.

A video from one of the pursuing police cars was shown during the press conference, including the shooting of Truitt. He was a passenger in a car that was suspected of being stolen, and whose driver took police on a high-speed chase in South Cobb, and ultimately behind an industrial building off Riverside Parkway.

The death was ruled a homicide by the Cobb County Medical Examiner’s Office, and after a probe by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation—which investigates all officer-involved shootings—the case was turned over to the Cobb DA’s office.

Truitt’s family said earlier this month it is planning a $50 million lawsuit against Cobb Police, alleging he was running away from police and wasn’t armed.

They also have been asking for months for the release of camera footage of the shooting, accused former DA Joyette Holmes of not properly investigating the case and demanded the resignation of Cobb Police Chief Tim Cox.

Broady and deputy chief assistant DA Jason Salibi said the footage seen by the grand jury on Thursday clearly showed Truitt brandishing a weapon. He suffered two gunshot wounds and died 12 hours later at Grady Memorial Hospital.

Broady said the unnamed officer followed all proper departmental procedures for use-of-force as well as state law.

“As an African-American, you hate to see an African-American shot down,” Broady said. “But the fact is we have to follow the law. And the law says the officer is within his rights.

“If you see the the video, you see plenty of places where that young man could have hid and presented an opportunity to ambush the officer or the officers who were chasing the other assailant.”

Salibi said Truitt’s family was called to the Cobb court chambers Thursday and briefed in a separate room about the grand jury proceedings, including the decision not to indict.

Broady said footage that wasn’t shown to the grand jury, out of deference for Truitt’s family, was when a wounded Truitt asked police why he had been shot.

“Because you had a gun,” Broady quoted the police officer as saying.

Salibi said that in the aftermath of the shooting, police rendered aid to Truitt, who lived in Fulton County.

The week before he defeated Holmes in the November elections, Broady appeared with Truitt’s family at a Cobb Board of Commissioners meeting that involved a group called Movement 4 Black Lives.

According to the Cobb County Courier, Truitt’s family’s attorney has been critical of Broady since he took office, and said that they “will be presenting Truitt’s case to the United Nations as an example of the ‘police brutality epidemic’ in the United States.”

Broady said Thursday that although the officer was never charged with a crime, the grand jury was presented evidence as though it were a criminal case, as part of a policy of his office to have a grand jury review any officer-involved shooting.

When asked what message he may have for those in the community still troubled by the shooting, Broady said that “we cannot let emotions dictate how we see things, that we have to look at the facts.”

Quoting Malcolm X, Broady said, “I am for justice, no matter who it’s for or who it’s against. It’s my job as district attorney that I look out for everybody. Not just for the victims but also the offenders, to make sure that they get a fair hearing based on the evidence, and that’s what we did today.”

At a later media briefing, Cox said that “I recognize that the loss of life is tragic. I pray for that family every day.”

He said that the police officer who shot Truitt has been under heavy stress, “and I pray for that officer” as well.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb Fire conducting training structure burn on Pete Shaw Road

February 10, 2021 12:40 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb Fire Training burn

Cobb County government is sending out word that you might see some smoke and fire this afternoon along a stretch of Sandy Plains Road.

There’s no need to be worried, because the Cobb Fire and Emergency Services Department is conducting what’s called an “acquired structure burn” for training purposes Wednesday at an empty homesite on Pete Shaw Road.

That’s scheduled to go on until 6 p.m. at 3100 Pete Shaw Road, near the intersection of Sandy Plains Road and Wigley Road.

According to the Cobb Tax Assessor’s office, the two-story brick home was built in 1976.

Cobb Neighborhood Safety Commission issues COVID fraud alert

February 10, 2021 12:15 PMFebruary 10, 2021 9:07 AM by Wendy Parker

Cobb Neighborhood Safety Commission COVID fraud alert

The Cobb Neighborhood Safety Commission is getting out the word about COVID-19 fraud, and offers suggestions and resources to help you prevent from becoming a victim:

Be aware that criminals are attempting to exploit COVID-19 worldwide through a variety of scams.

Be on the lookout for antibody testing fraud schemes. Never share your personal or health information to anyone other than known and trusted medical professionals. Learn more about what to avoid.

Be cautious of unsolicited healthcare fraud schemes of testing and treatment through emails, phone calls, or in person. The U.S. have medical professionals and scientist working hard to find a cure, approved treatment, and vaccine for COVID-19. Learn more about what to avoid

Be wary of unsolicited telephone calls and e-mails from individuals claiming to be IRS and Treasury employees. Remember IRS first form of communications is by mail – not by phone. Learn more about fraudulent schemes related to IRS

Be aware of unemployment insurance fraud and learn the steps to take if you suspect criminals have exploited your identity. Learn more about unemployment insurance fraud.

Criminals will likely continue to use new methods to exploit COVID-19 worldwide. Stay alert and stay informed about common fraud schemes related to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Find out more about types of scams.
If you think you are a victim of a scam or attempted fraud involving COVID-19, you can report it without leaving your home by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.

Cobb Fire seeks public help in investigating Vinings arsons

January 13, 2021 1:33 PM by Wendy Parker

Vining arsons

Photo and text below from Nicholas Danz, Public Information Officer, Cobb Fire & Emergency Services:

WHAT: We suspect that 10 intentionally set fires have occurred in and around this location. 3 of those occurred within 12 hours spanning between January 10-11, 2021.

WHEN: From September 2020 – January 2021

WHERE: WestHaven at Vinings, 5900 Suffex Green Ln NW, Atlanta, GA 30339

WHY: We would like your help gathering information related to these incidents. Please contact our Fire Investigations Unit.

HOW: There is a reward up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a suspect(s). You can call the Cobb County Fire Investigations Unit at 770-499-3869 or the attached hotline number for the HEAT program sponsored by Georgia Arson Control.

Police identify suspect in death of Sedalia Park ES student

December 29, 2020 4:02 PM by Wendy Parker

Kennedy Maxie, Sedalia Park student shot

Atlanta Police said Tuesday they have secured felony warrants against a man they believe fired the shots that led to the death of a Sedalia Park Elementary School student last week.

Police said during a news conference that Daquan Reed, 24, is wanted for murder and other charges stemming from a Dec. 21 incident at Phipps Plaza in Buckhead.

Kennedy Maxie, 7, was riding in a car with her mother and aunt after Christmas shopping when she was struck by a stray bullet, police said previously, and that she was rushed to Childrens Healthcare Atlanta Scottish Rite.

The girl died on Saturday night, and a $15,000 reward for information about the case continued.

Police said Tuesday that there was an argument and a fight in the parking lot of the Saks Fifth Avenue store at Phipps and that Reed may have been among the individuals involved.

Lt. Pete Malecki, an Atlanta Police homicide investigator, said Reed left the scene in a car and began shooting, and the gunfire hit the girl in the back of the head.

The other warrants against Reed include possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during a crime and reckless conduct.

Malecki said it was “relentless investigative work” that led to identifying a suspect, but that while “we have a lot of work to do to apprehend Mr. Reed . . . it’s our hope that this will provide a sliver of relief to Kennedy’s family.”

A fundraiser set up by the girl’s godmother to provide assistance to the family has received more than $60,000 in donations, and many messages of condolence:

“My heart is broken. May God comfort the family and give them strength. And, I pray those responsible for this senseless tragedy be found and brought to justice quickly before they hurt anyone else. RIP baby girl.”

2 arrested for false imprisonment, battery of East Cobb woman

January 2, 2021 2:18 PMDecember 29, 2020 2:26 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb Police said a 66-year-old woman was the victim of battery and false imprisonment at her home in East Cobb last week, including having her hands tied behind her back with a cable wire, and have arrested her daughter and another man.

Jenica Bratton, 22, and Matthew Hurlebaus, 21, were booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center on Dec. 23, and both remain in custody on bonds of $7,920 and $8,470, respectively, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records.

UPDATED, SATURDAY, Jan. 2: Bratton has bonded out of jail; Hurlebaus remains in custody.

They’re facing felony charges of false imprisonment and exploitation and intimidation of elderly and disabled persons.

Bratton, whose booking report indicates she is homeless, also has been charged with a misdemeanor charge of battery and a felony charge of drug possession.

According to Bratton’s arrest warrant, Bratton was at her mother’s home on Housely Road on the afternoon of Dec. 23 and got into a verbal altercation with the older woman that turned violent.

Bratton then ordered her to an upstairs area of a shed on the property, binding her mother’s arms behind her back with a cable wire, according to the warrant.

The warrant said Hurlebaus persuaded Bratton to unbind the mother while he watched her.

According to Hurlebaus’ warrant, the older woman tried fleeing the area, but he blocked an exit to the shed, preventing her from escaping.

The older woman suffered multiple small lacerations around her mouth and chin, according to Bratton’s warrant, as well as bruises on her left wrist from the cable.

Bratton and Hurlebaus were later arrested at his home on Post Oak Tritt Road, and she also was found to be in possession of Acetaminophen and Hydrocodone pills, according to her warrant.

Sedalia Park ES student dies after being shot in Buckhead

December 28, 2020 5:42 PMDecember 27, 2020 1:34 PM by Wendy Parker

Kennedy Maxie, Sedalia Park student shot

WSB-TV is reporting Sunday afternoon that Kennedy Maxie, a 7-year-old student at Sedalia Park Elementary School in East Cobb, has died after being shot in the head in Buckhead on Monday.

The television station said the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that the girl died Saturday evening.

She had been at Children’s Healthcare Atlanta at Scottish Rite since being taken there Monday evening, after she and her mother and aunt were leaving Phipps Plaza, where they had been Christmas shopping.

Atlanta Police said the girl was sitting in the back of a car when she was struck by a stray bullet. A reward for information about the incident had been raised to $15,000.

But there have been few details from police about leads in the case, and about why there was shooting in the area.

The girl’s godmother began a fundraiser that has netted more than $45,000. There has been no word from her or the family since a Christmas Eve message.

UPDATED: Atlanta Police Monday confirmed the girl’s death and said a $15,000 reward remains.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Fundraiser started for Sedalia Park student shot in Buckhead

December 28, 2020 2:57 PMDecember 24, 2020 11:20 AM by Wendy Parker

Kennedy Maxie, Sedalia Park student shot

UPDATED Sunday, Dec. 27, 1:35 p.m.: WSB-TV is reporting that the girl died Saturday night.

A Sedalia Park Elementary School student is fighting for her life after being shot in the head in Buckhead earlier this week, and friends are working to raise money for her family.

Kennedy Maxie, 7, was rushed to Children’s Healthcare Scottish Rite after the Monday incident. She was riding in a car with her mother and aunt after Christmas shopping near Phipps Plaza when she was shot in the head by a stray bullet, according to Atlanta police.

An online fundraiser begun by Cassandra Wood, the girl’s godmother, sought $25,000 and had raised more than $37,000 from more than 500 donors as of Thursday.

Wood said the donations will go directly to the girl’s mother. The family lives in Mableton. “Please pray for a Christmas miracle for our precious girl!” Wood said in her appeal.

A $15,000 reward for information has been set by Crime Stoppers of Greater Atlanta (404-577-8477) after several individual donations.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Shallowford Road crash results in vehicular homicide charge

December 7, 2020 5:44 PM by Wendy Parker

Shallowford Road crash

An Acworth woman whom Cobb Police said caused a fatal crash on Shallowford Road the day before Thanksgiving has been charged with vehicular homicide.

Danielle Erickson, 24, was booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center Thursday afternoon on three misdemeanor charges of second-degree vehicular homicide, driving on the wrong side of the road and speeding, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records.

She was released a short time after her booking on a $5,720 property bond, those records show.

Police said last week that Erickson was behind the wheel of a white 2014 Chevrolet Cruze in a westbound lane of Shallowford on Nov. 235 at 11:48 a.m. when the car veered into an eastbound lane at the intersection of Lassiter Road.

The Chevrolet struck a beige 2008 Kia Optima, which was headed east on Shallowford. The Kia then collided with a black 2017 GMC Yukon that also was also traveling eastbound, according to police.

Police said the driver of the Kia, Andrew Halloran, 47, of Roswell, was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to her arrest warrant, Erickson was driving between 47 and 60 mph in a zone with a speed limit of 45 mph. The warrant said the speeds were confirmed by information retrieved from her car’s event data recorder after police got a search warrant.

The warrant stated that Erickson caused another person’s death “without an intention to do so.”

Police said that Erickson and Jennifer Mire, 45, of Marietta, driver of the Yukon, did not require medical attention at the scene.

An online fundraiser for Halloran’s family has raised more than $47,000. He was active with the Lassiter High School Band booster club.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb gets federal grant to establish a Family Justice Center

October 22, 2020 7:07 AM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information: Cobb Family Justice Center, Ga. Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

Cobb District Attorney Joyette M. Holmes announces that her office and its partners have been awarded a four-year grant worth up to $400,000 to create a Family Justice Center, where victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse can receive services in a single location.

“It is exciting that Cobb County has such great collaboration and support among victim-service providers, law enforcement and county government that we were successful in seeking out this opportunity,” DA Holmes said. “The partnering agencies are committed to the establishment of a Family Justice Center for our community so that we can serve the victim where they are rather than the victim having to seek services where the agencies are located. This streamlining of services will provide a safe place for victims and survivors to go to receive wrap-around and holistic services. I am devoted to leading in the planning, implementation, and ongoing partnership to build a Family Justice Center for Cobb County.”

Partners include LiveSAFE Resources, SafePath Children’s Advocacy Center, Inc., along with Cobb County Government, the Cobb Sheriff’s Office and Police Department, the Solicitor General’s Office, and Legal Aid of Cobb County. Partnering agencies and offices will have the opportunity to house representatives in the new center to serve victims.

Tracey B. Atwater is the Executive Director of LiveSAFE Resources.

“Too often, those seeking help after victimization must visit various service providers and agencies in order to get the assistance they need. This incredible new project will allow us and our community partners to better serve those in need by creating a collocated space, reducing barriers for victims seeking help,” she said.

Jinger Robins, Chief Executive Officer of SafePath Children’s Advocacy Center, Inc., also welcomed the project.

“What a great day for Cobb County citizens! The successful award from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council of funding for a Family Justice Center will serve all citizens in Cobb County and further ensure victims of crime are able to have the best access to all the services they deserve. SafePath is honored to be one of the partnering agencies as we work collaboratively to connect victims to services as they heal,” Robins said.

The grant is administered through Georgia’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council with federal dollars from the Victims of Crime Act. Only two other Georgia communities, Waycross and Macon, were awarded grants to create family justice centers. Savannah has the only existing center in Georgia.

The family justice center model has been identified as a best practice in the intervention and prevention of domestic violence by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women. Documented and published outcomes include reduced homicides, increased victim safety and empowerment, reduced fear and anxiety for victims and their children, and reduced recantation by victims receiving this level of support.

Agencies that provided support for Cobb’s center in the application process include Center for Family Resources; Cobb Collaborative; the Division of Family and Children’s Services; Kennesaw State University’s WellStar College of Health and Human Services; police departments of Acworth, Kennesaw and Smyrna; the Georgia Commission on Family Violence; and the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia.

Planning and establishing the center will require significant community buy-in. Cobb’s leaders are planning a virtual community meeting in early December to begin discussions.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb warns of pine straw scammers coming to neighborhoods

October 20, 2020 9:47 AMOctober 20, 2020 7:44 AM by Wendy Parker

Cobb pine straw scammers

We got a message about this recently, and now Cobb County government is getting out the word warning about pine straw scammers who are coming to neighborhoods.

A reader told us that earlier this month an incident happened to a neighbor in East Cobb, after three men in a pickup truck were driving a utility trailer full of pine straw, promising to lay it down for $5 a bale.

The reader said the workers did the job, but then wanted much more money than the agreed-upon price. After an argument, the resident gave them some of the money they demanded for them to go away, afraid of retaliation.

The reader said there may have been a similar incident in the Providence Walk subdivision but with a different vehicle.

Here’s the message the county is getting out to the public:

Workers approach homeowners and explain they are in the area working and have extra pine straw and offer to sell and spread the pine straw for approximately $4 per bale. Depending on the size of the yard the agreement is to spread approximately 10-50 bales of pine straw.

At some point, the workers re-contact the homeowner and say that it will take more pine straw than anticipated to complete the job and the homeowner agrees with the assumption it will only take a few more bales to complete the job. When the workers finish the job they advise the homeowner they installed approximately 4 times the bales the homeowner anticipated.

The workers then try to collect several thousands of dollars for the work they claim they did. In most of the cases, the homeowners start negotiating a rate higher than agreed upon initially but lower than the workers are asking simply to get them to leave.

What to do:

Use extreme caution when dealing with walk-up salespeople.
Ask them for a business card or website so that you can research the business before they start the work.
If possible obtain the business name, employee names, phone numbers, and tag numbers.
Check for a Cobb County Business License and Better Business Bureau review.
If it is a verbal agreement, record the conversation, agree on the specific work that you want to be done, and agree on a specific final price. Before any work starts.
Trying to save a few dollars is not worth it. Use a local reputable company that is established, licensed, and insured.
If you feel that you are being scammed or intimidated to pay a higher amount immediately call 911 to have the issue reported and hopefully resolved.

Rapper arrested in East Cobb being held on fugitive warrant

October 19, 2020 6:39 PMOctober 19, 2020 4:55 PM by Wendy Parker

A Louisiana rapper arrested at a home on Columns Drive in East Cobb after a domestic incident Friday is being held without bond on a fugitive warrant, according to Cobb court records.

Javorius Tykies Scott, 22, of Bogalusa, La., also known as “JayDaYoungan,” was taken into custody late Friday on a misdemeanor charge of battery and family violence for attacking a woman at the residence, located on Columns Drive near Rivercliff Trace.

His arrest warrant states that Scott “did punch, push and grab” an individual, “leaving visible marks and scars” on the accuser’s arms.

The warrant further stated that Scott and his accuser were “living or formerly living in the same household.”

Cobb Sheriff’s Office records show Scott posted a $1,320 bond for that charge, but another warrant was taken out against him on charges stemming from a February arrest in Houston, Texas.

According to the fugitive warrant, Scott was arrested on a domestic abuse charge of hitting a pregnant woman, and possession of a controlled substance. According to news reports there, he was found by police hiding in an attic of a home.

In April, Scott was arrested in Senoia, Ga., on charges of marijuana possession with intent to distribute, narcotics possession and tampering with evidence. That incident included the arrest of a murder suspect and others on weapons and drug charges at an Airbnb home.

A news report in Newnan said a Coweta County’s Sheriff’s Office investigator said Scott was reportedly in the Atlanta area shooting a video and “possibly buying a property in Marietta.” The owner of the Columns Drive home where Scott was arrested is neither him nor his accuser, according to Cobb Tax Assessor’s office records.

A second fugitive warrant taken out against Scott in Cobb was dismissed, but he remained in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without bond late Monday afternoon, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Records.

The initial fugitive warrant states that officials in Harris County, Texas, intend to extradite Scott.

Scott has recorded several rap singles that have received multi-million impressions on various digital media platforms and he’s also released several mixtape albums.

According to his website, he’s released three music videos since his legal troubles earlier this year. Scott also posts videos and related content on his Instagram page, which has 2.4 million followers.

GBI makes drug-trafficking arrests after NE Cobb home search

October 13, 2020 7:37 PM by Wendy Parker

GBI drug trafficking arrests NE Cobb home — *Photo courtesy GBI*

Five people were arrested last week on charges of trafficking methamphetamine drugs after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s gang task force and the federal Homeland Security Investigations Unit executed search warrants at locations that included a home in Northeast Cobb.

The GBI said in a release Tuesday afternoon that the five individuals were apprehended in Cobb and Cherokee counties.

A residence on Highland Terrace, off Canton Road and near Shallowford Road, was searched last Friday, where agents seized more than 100 kilograms (around 220 pounds) of suspected crystal methamphetamine, a loaded AR-15 rifle and a handgun, according to the GBI.

Other searches in Cherokee included the seizure of around three kilograms of suspected methamphetamine, according to the GBI.

The bureau said Melissa Picardi, 37, of Atlanta, was charged with trafficking methamphetamine and is the only one of the suspects being detained in Cobb County.

According to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records, Picardi was arrested at the Market Square Shopping Center on Canton Road Friday afternoon and is being held without bond at the Cobb Adult Detention Center.

The four other suspects were taken to the Cherokee County Jail and also were charged with trafficking methamphetamine:

Antonio Jamar Laster, 24, of Nashville, Tenn.;
Bryan Hernandez, 23, of Atlanta;
Miguel Angel Rayon Gonzalez, 20, of Atlanta;
Jesus Cruz-Aguirre, 19, of Atlanta.

The GBI said the probe was part of an investigation begun earlier this year by its gang task force into the criminal street gangs Gangster Disciples and Ghostface Gangsters.

The agency said agents were specifically targeting the gangs’ weapons and drug trafficking relationship with local associates of Mexican cartel traffickers.

“Months of investigation led to a large amount of dangerous drugs and weapons taken off the street,” said Ken Howard, the GBI’s special agent in charge of the investigation. “The GBI Gang Task Force works collaboratively with federal, state, and local law enforcement to identify and eliminate gang activity and make communities safer.”

Cobb Police, Woodstock Police, and the Cobb and Cherokee sheriff’s offices also assisted in the investigation, which the GBI said is continuing and anticipates making more arrests.

Cobb public safety agencies welcome additions to K-9 corps

September 24, 2020 7:17 AM by Wendy Parker

New Cobb K-9 dogs

From Cobb government about Tuesday’s Cobb Board of Commissioners: meeting that “went to the dogs” with the introduction by commissioner JoAnn Birrell of new K-9 additions for public safety agencies:

“‘Vinny’ is a 2 ½ year old black Labrador Retriever who works with Lee Maness. Maness has been with Cobb for 17 years as both a Police Officer and a Firefighter. He is currently an Investigator II assigned to the Fire Investigations Unit with Vinny, who is trained to detect ignitable liquid accelerants.

“Officer Barlett was accompanied by ‘Brave,’ a brindle colored Dutch Shepherd. Barlett has served with the Cobb County Police Department since November of 2004. K9 Brave was purchased with a donation from the Atlanta Braves. We thank them all for their service to our community.”

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East Cobb man charged with 8 counts of aggravated assault on police

September 23, 2020 7:16 PMSeptember 23, 2020 12:19 PM by Wendy Parker

A man who Cobb Police said barricaded himself at a home in East Cobb for several hours Tuesday after firing gunshots has been charged with eight counts of aggravated assault on police officers.

Cobb Sheriff’s Office records show that Donald Terry Welborn Jr., 57, is being held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.

He is accused of shooting at officers after he fired a weapon in a bedroom where his wife was sleeping, and striking the homes of neighbors with gunfire.

Welborn was booked Tuesday on the aggravated assault charges, which are felonies, and three misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct for the other shootings.

Welborn, whose home address is listed as 2518 Kingsley Drive, off Post Oak Tritt Road and near Johnson Ferry Road, was apprehended there shortly after noon on Tuesday, according to Cobb Police.

According to a criminal warrant taken out against Welborn, he was at that address around 5:30 a.m. and went into a bedroom where Susan Welborn was sleeping, then shot at a ceiling fan.

According to Cobb court records, she is Welborn’s wife, but they had been separated. Susan Welborn filed for divorce in Cobb Superior Court later Tuesday afternoon. The filing states they had been married since 1994, but the marriage was “irretrievably broken” and that they had been living in a “bona fide state of separation.”

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

A statement issued Wednesday afternoon by Sgt. Wayne Delk, a Cobb Police spokesman, said the first officers who arrived at the scene said they heard shots coming from a residence at 2518 Kingsley Drive and that were fired in their direction.

The warrant alleges that eight officers were shot at by Welborn outside the home.

The Cobb Police SWAT team and a crisis negotiation team later arrived and “after an extended negotiation” the suspect, identified as Welborn, was arrested without injuries to him or the officers.

Delk further said that a police bomb squad checked the house and no explosive devices were found.

Police said a 911 dispatcher got a call from Kingsley Drive in the New Castle neighborhood around 5:30 a.m. of gunshots being fired, both inside a home and outside in the neighborhood.

Police blocked off the New Castle and nearby Arthur’s Vineyard neighborhoods while negotiators attempted to get a man to come out of his home.

Delk said Wednesday that the incident remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call the Cobb County Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons Unit at 770-499-3945.

Canton man arrested in hit-and-run death of I-75 worker

September 22, 2020 4:52 PM by Wendy Parker

Marietta Police said Tuesday they’ve charged a Canton man with the hit-and-run death of a construction worker on Interstate-75 near Delk Road on Sept. 13.

Police said in release Tuesday that Daniel Broder, 20, was booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center on felony charges of first-degree vehicular homicide and another felony count of hit-and-run resulting in serious injury or death.

According to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records, Broder is being held without bond.

Police said Martin Rivera, 30, of Chicago, was hit twice by vehicles as he was placing signage on the I-75 shoulder just north of Delk Road near 9 p.m. on Sept. 13.

Police said the first vehicle, a black Volkswagen Golf GTI, hit Rivera and drove away from the scene. The force of the first collision threw Rivera into the path of another vehicle, which police said stopped and the driver cooperated with the investigation.

Police said at the time that the Volkswagen may have “abruptly” exited I-75 at the South Marietta Parkway.

Police said they got an anonymous tip on Monday and worked leads to identify the suspect and his vehicle, and made the arrest at Broder’s home.

New Cobb fire chief appointed; is 26-year department veteran

August 12, 2020 1:26 PM by Wendy Parker

When former Cobb Fire Chief was appointed interim Cobb Public Safety Director last August, one of his deputies, William Johnson, was named interim fire chief. Cobb Fire Chief William Johnson

On Tuesday the Cobb Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to formally appoint Johnson to the position, which oversees fire and emergency services.

Johnson has been in Cobb for more than 26 years, according to his official biography, and started out at the rank of firefighter/paramedic.

He’s worked his way up as an engineer, lieutenant, captain and battalion chief, and in 2016, was appointed deputy chief of preparedness.

Johnson hold a bachelor’s degree from Columbia Southern University in fire science. He is a University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government EXCEL graduate.

Johnson also is part of the 2019 class of Leadership Cobb.

He’s lived in Cobb County all his live, graduating from McEachern High School, and still lives in West Cobb with his wife and two children.

Johnson is a founding committee member of the United Leadership Program and a lifetime Silver Member of the NAACP.

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