East Cobb Public Safety

GBI identifies man killed in officer-involved shooting at Walton on the Chattahoochee apartments

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Walton on the Chattahoochee apartments

Early this morning there was an officer-involved shooting at the Walton on the Chattahoochee apartments that resulted in the death of a man Cobb Police say was shooting in the parking lot.

The incident, which took place around 6 a.m., kept Akers Mill Road closed between Cumberland Boulevard and Powers Ferry Road until around 1:30 this afternoon, according to Cobb DOT.

When there’s an officer-involved shooting, the case is turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Late this afternoon the GBI said the man who was killed was Matthew Chambers, age 34, address unspecified.

Police said a man began shooting in the parking lot and they were called to the scene by residents of the apartment complex, which is located at 6640 Akers Mill Road, near the intersection of Powers Ferry.

Police said the man was shooting at vehicles, and that officers found him at a bus stop on Akers Mill, and he pointed his gun at them. Police returned fire, according to the GBI, and the man later identified as Chambers was taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital. Chambers was pronounced dead there, according to the GBI.

The GBI said no one else, including police, was injured during the incident, which remains under investigation.

After that is complete, the GBI report is forwarded to the Cobb District Attorney’s Office for a review.

 

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Cobb emergency crews prepare for impact of Hurricane Michael

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Cobb emergency crews, Hurricane Michael

Just a little while ago Cobb government public information officer Ross Cavitt sent out the following message and video here of crews working in the Vinings area, related to county preparations for what we might get via Hurricane Michael:

Cobb County’s Emergency Management Agency participated in National Weather Service and GEMA briefings this afternoon. We expect some gusty winds and up to two inches of rain in this area. Much of this will happen after dark tonight.

Cobb County Department of Transportation crews spent much of the day clearing clogged storm drains and preparing their tree clearing equipment in anticipation of work tonight.

Cobb County Emergency Management Director Cassie Mazloom says the tornado threat in the Cobb area is low but still worth monitoring. The biggest concern remains downed trees and power outages, especially since we’ve been in a fairly dry period.

Cobb is included in a hazardous weather outlook area issued this morning by the National Weather Service in Atlanta.

Just before the eye of the storm made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane earlier this afternoon, wind gusts of nearly 150 mph were measured at Tydall AFB near Panama City Beach, Fla., according to news reports there.

Yesterday Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency in 93 counties in central and south Georgia, which are expected to get a heavy brunt from Michael.

Today he expanded that area to 108 counties, many of which are now under a hurricane warning, according to the National Weather Service, with the threat of devastating amounts of heavy rain and hurricane-force winds, possibly in excess of 70 mph.

The storm is projected to sweep up  part of the Middle Atlantic coast before crossing into the Atlantic Ocean.

In the video, the interview is with Gary Pongetti, Cobb DOT Drainage Division Maintenance Supervisor.

Earlier this morning, the Cobb County School District sent out this message:

We continue to remain in contact with the National Weather Service and are monitoring the track of Hurricane Michael. Our Operations and Transportation teams are ready to get every student to school and back home safely for the rest of the week!

Cobb schools will be on a previously scheduled early release Thursday for a local school professional learning day.

High temperatures in Cobb are expected to cool, starting on Thursday, and not get out of the 70s for the rest of the week. Low temperatures are expected to drop into the 50s, with mostly sunny weather on the weekend after the chance of rain and showers on Thursday.

The National Hurricane Center said today that the only stronger storm on record to reach so far north on the Gulf Coast was Hurricane Camille, a Category 5 storm in 1969 that slammed into the Mississippi coast, killing more than 200 people and reaching winds of more than 170 mph.

 

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Woman pleads guilty but mentally ill in Cobb crime spree that included death of pedestrian

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A woman who went on a crime spree that included the death of a pedestrian near Bells Ferry Road two years ago has been sentenced to prison.Kristie Renee Nesby, Cobb crime spree

The Cobb District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday that Kristie Renee Nesby, 45, of Fresno, Texas, has been sentenced to 55 years in prison, with 20 to serve and the rest on parole.

She pleaded guilty but mentally ill last week to several felony charges, including killing Luci Turner, 71, who was struck by a car driven by Nesby.

Prosecutors said that incident came at the end what the DA’s office called a “bizarre” string of crimes by Nesby in May 2016.

Nesby, who was to go on trial next week, pleaded guilty but mentally ill to 10 charges, including homicide by vehicle, armed robbery, hijacking a motor vehicle, hit and run, aggravated assault, and possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Around 5 a.m. on May 11, 2016, they said Nesby robbed the owner of a Smyrna cleaning business, then hit another vehicle while speeding on Interstate 575. Prosecutors said Nesby fled the scene, drove the wrong way on an exit ramp and hit another car.

Shortly after 6 a.m., the DA’s office said Nesby was driving on Cobb Parkway near Bells Ferry Road when her car left the road and went on a sidewalk, hitting Turner, who was walking to her job at a nearby Burger King.

Turner, who had been a teacher and a volunteer at MUST Ministries, died of her injuries at WellStar Kennestone Hospital.

After that incident, prosecutors said Nesby hijacked a car driven by a female motorist on Bells Ferry Road and fled toward Interstate 75. She then hijacked a second car and robbed a woman of her cell phone, according to the DA’s office.

Prosecutors said that while driving to Atlanta Nesby called 911 and said she would take a hostage and kill the hostage and herself if police didn’t chase her with blue lights and stop her.

She crashed into several vehicles in Atlanta and tried to hijack another car before being arrested there, according to prosecutors, who said police found her in possession of two handguns.

Prosecutors said Nesby contended that among other things, a fast food employee put something in a soft drink she had ordered that caused her to hallucinate and commit the crimes.

The Cobb DA’s office enlisted the help of mental health experts who evaluated Nesby, and that prosecutors and Nesby’s attorney asked the court to find her mentally ill.

Cobb Superior Court Judge Stephen Schuster accepted Nesby’s plea before issuing the sentence, the Cobb DA’s office said.

Nesby, who has been in the Cobb County jail since her arrest, will receive credit for time served, according to the Cobb DA’s office, which said she also will receive mental health treatment in prison.

 

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Cobb Police respond to Holly Springs Road suspicious person questions

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In the wake of arrests made earlier this week in an attempted child abduction incident off Bells Ferry Road, some social media chatter centered on an individual spotted in some East Cobb neighborhoods, in particular around Holly Springs Road and the vicinity of Pope High School.Cobb Police, Holly Springs Road suspicious person

Cobb Police Lt. Nathan McCreary, who heads up criminal investigations for Precinct 4, has issued the following response to those citizens’ concerns:

The Cobb County Police Department is aware of the information that has been making rounds on social media platforms regarding a suspicious male in a black Nissan Maxima in the East Cobb area, specifically Holly Springs Road. Investigators have identified and spoken to the involved individual who was cooperative with the investigation. At this time, we have found no evidence of criminal activity associated with the vehicle or its driver.

We want to thank the citizens for their vigilance and encourage everyone to call 911 if they see a suspicious person or vehicles. Do not hesitate to use the emergency line to report any and all suspicious activity.

 

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Man convicted of raping 4-year-old girl in Delk Road apartment sentenced to 2 life terms

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A man found guilty last week of raping a 4-year-old girl at his Delk Road apartment was given two life sentences plus 120 years.Frederick Wade Sherwood, Delk Road apartment rape

Frederick Wade Sherwood, 48, was convicted Friday by a Cobb Superior Court jury of all charges, including rape, aggravated sodomy and child molestation, according to the Cobb District Attorney’s Office.

The sentence was handed down by Cobb Superior Court Judge Grant Brantley.

Prosecutors said the attacks occurred between 2014 and 2015 in Sherwood’s Delk Road apartment (according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office, his home address is listed as 2650 Delk Road, the Stratford Ridge Apartments).

Prosecutors said the girl was four years old when the assaults began, and she disclosed the abuse to family members in early 2016.

During the trial, according to the DA’s office, she clutched a stuffed animal on the witness stand, saying she initially told no one about the abuse because she feared Sherwood would be mad at her.

A male witness testified during the trial to having been sexually abused by Sherwood years before in another city.

“Any time a small child has to face their abuser in court is particularly difficult,” Cobb assistant district attorney Katie Gropper, who prosecuted the case, said in a statement.

“We are always hopeful that the judicial process is an empowering step towards healing. While we can’t undo the harm the Defendant caused to this child, the jury’s verdict will help bring a sense of justice and closure and ensure that Mr. Sherwood can never harm another child in our community.”

 

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Cows on 285: The great cattle round-up that took all day

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Cows on 285

Around 4 p.m. today Georgia DOT noted what appeared to be one of the last of the cows rambling around I-285 and I-75 that literally stopped traffic for a time in one of metro Atlanta’s busiest interchanges.

Traffic in the area was affected all day after a tractor-trailer truck carrying dozens of cows overturned on a ramp from I-285 east to I-75 north after 3 a.m.

The above Georgia 511 camera photo was taken near Northside Drive on the eastbound side of 285, with the possibility that there was one other cow still at-large.

Shortly after that, police in Sandy Springs—were many of the loose cows had roamed—reported that “we have captured the rogue cow.”

After the accident, many cows spilled out onto the roadway and nearby areas, and around a dozen cows reportedly were killed by oncoming vehicles.

More than 70 cows were ultimately retrieved by law enforcement. Cobb Fire crews, assisting Georgia DOT, worked with saws to cut open the cattle truck to free the remaining cows inside.

Traffic on I-285 was shut down for a time before daybreak, but the round-up—as well as the clean-up from the aftermath of the accident—lasted into the afternoon rush hour.

The driver of the truck was taken to a hospital with injuries.

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Cobb Coffee with a Cop at 2 East Cobb locations next week

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From the Cobb County Neighborhood Safety Commission and Cobb Police:Cobb Coffee With a Cop, Northeast Cobb hit-and-run

National Coffee-With-A-Cop Day is Wednesday, October 3, 2018.

Coffee-With-A-Cop brings police officers and the community members they serve together–over coffee–to discuss issues and learn more about each other. In the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee, citizens and police officers can get to know each other and discover mutual goals for the communities they live in and serve.

Officers will be at the following locations on Oct. 3rd:

– Dunkin Donuts located at 4290 Bells Ferry Rd., Kennesaw, Ga. 30144 (from 2:30 pm until 4:00 pm)

– Panera Bread located at 1605 East-West Connector, Austell, Ga. 30106 (from 6:00 pm until 7:30 pm)

– Dunkin Donuts located at 2022 Powers Ferry Rd., Atlanta, Ga. 30339 (from 3:00 pm until 4:30 pm)

– Whole Foods located at 1311 Johnson’s Ferry Rd., Marietta, Ga. 30068 (from 3:00 pm until 4:30 pm)

– Dunkin Donuts located at 2475 Dallas Highway, Marietta, Ga. 30064 (from 8:00 am until 9:30 am)

We look forward to seeing you at one of these locations. As always, please be careful in your travels.

If you have any questions concerning this event, please contact Sgt Tatroe at 770-399-3981. Also, all our events are child friendly, so if the youngsters are available, please bring them so they can meet and talk with the officers as well.

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Pedestrian hospitalized in Northeast Cobb hit-and-run

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Cobb Police said a man walking along Pete Shaw Road in Northeast Cobb Tuesday night was struck by a vehicle. Northeast Cobb hit-and-run

Officer Sarah OHara said that Kevin Scholfield, 36, of a Northeast Cobb address, was taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital with injuries that are not expected to be life-threatening.

She said Scholfield was walking westbound on Pete Shaw between Regas Drive and Bramblebush Trail around 10 p.m. Tuesday when he was hit from behind by a vehicle, also headed west.

O’Hara said the vehicle fled the scene, and that when officers arrived, they found Scholfield was conscious and alert. However, police said he could not provide a description of the vehicle.

Anyone with information is asked to call Cobb Police at 770-499-3987.

 

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Panhandler still at-large after fleeing Sope Creek trails of Chattahoochee National Recreation Area

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UPDATED REPORT, WEDNESDAY, 10:10 A.M.:

We’ve just heard from Jeffrey Glossop, the chief ranger at the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area, who said this morning the panhandler who fled from a pursuit at the Sope Creek trails by his rangers and Cobb Police on Tuesday is still at-largeSope Creek trails, panhandler photo

The park also has released some surveillance photos of the man, who may be homeless and living in the nearby woods.

He’s described as a black male in his early 40s, and is around 5-foot-9 or 5-foot-10 and weighs around 170 pounds, and has a droopy or lazy eye.

Glossop said the man was last seen wearing a dark t-shirt and spotted or plaid light-colored pants.

“We don’t have any reason to think he’s a threat to anyone,” but if you should see him do not approach him but call 911, Glossop said.

The saga actually began on Monday, when Glossop said his office got a call from a park visitor who said a man was sleeping in the woods in the Sope Creek unit.

He said park rangers responded and found him in a tent, but the man got away.

On Tuesday, he said, they got complaints from park visitors about panhandling by a man who matched the description of the individual they spotted on Monday.

Glossop said that man has an outstanding warrant in Rockdale County, but doesn’t know what for.

The Sope Creek trails are open to the public today; Glossop said only the Paper Mill Road parking lot for access to those trails was closed briefly while Cobb Police units were on the scene assisting with the search.

Glossop said visitors were asked during that time to park in the lot off Columns Drive to access the Sope Creek trails.

The park area is located near Sope Creek Elementary School, which was  “operating on a normal schedule” on Wednesday, according to a Cobb County School District spokesperson.

ORIGINAL REPORT POSTED 5 P.M. TUESDAY, SEPT. 18

The National Park Service was searching for a panhandler who slipped away on Tuesday in the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area Cochran Shoals Unit in East Cobb, prompting a closure of the Sope Creek Trails.Chattahoochee River NRA

The Chattahoochee NRA released a public message about the closure around 11 a.m. Tuesday, but didn’t say why.

Sgt. Wayne Delk, a spokesman for Cobb Police, said Cobb Police were called to assist in the search.

He said the individual being sought also has an outstanding warrant in Rockdale County, but he did not know the reason for the warrant.

Delk said the panhandler isn’t considered a threat to the public, and that the NPS is continuing the search.

East Cobb News has left a message with the Chattahoochee NRA and will update with more information.

 

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Mother of 4 found strangled at East Cobb home after domestic dispute

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East Cobb woman strangled
Photo: Marietta Police Department

Marietta Police say a 24-year-old woman was strangled to death at her home in the Merritt Road area early Thursday, and that they have charged a man living there with her murder.

The body of Xi-anna Graham was discovered at her home at 697 Bonnie Dell Drive around 4 a.m. Thursday, according to police, who said there had been an “ongoing domestic dispute.”

The suspect taken into custody is Christopher Gene Scarboro, 27, whom police said resided at the home with Graham and her four children.

He has been charged with felony homicide, aggravated assault and third-degree child cruelty. According to the Cobb Sheriff’s Office, Scarboro is being held without bond.

Marietta Police said the investigation into the murder continues and that anyone with information should contact Det. Michael Selleck at 770-794-5372.

Police said anyone who’s been abused or knows someone who has should seek help immediately. Resources include contacting 1-800-33-HAVEN, as well as the National Domestic Violence Hotline. It’s available 24/7/365 in English and Spanish via website chat, phone call or text at 800-799-7233.

More crime stories

 

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Kell High School teacher indicted on five counts of student sexual assault

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A Kell High School teacher arrested earlier this summer for allegedly assaulting a student at the school has been indicted.

According to Cobb District Attorney’s office information, Spencer Wayne Herron, 48, was indicted in the past week on five counts of sexual assault of a student. Kell High School teacher indicted

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

Arrest warrants indicate Herron has been accused of having sex multiple times with a student on campus from early 2016 through the 2017-18 school year.

Herron was taken to the Cobb County Adult Detention Center on June 1, and remains there on a $50,000 bond, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records.

Related stories

 

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Delk Road motel trafficking arrests: 4 charged after girl calls 911

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Marietta Police said today they’ve made four arrests for human trafficking activity they say was taking place at a motel in the Delk Road area.Marietta Police, Delk Road motel trafficking arrests

Police said they got a 911 call early Monday morning from a 15-year-old girl who said she was forced to have sex with multiple men in a room at the Days Inn (2191 Northwest Parkway). The girl said she was told she would be killed if she tried to leave, according to police.

Police said Marietta detectives rescued the girl and took out search warrants for two rooms at the Days Inn, arresting three suspects there and another at a nearby motel.

Marietta Police say the following individuals have been charged and were taken into custody at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center Monday afternoon:

  • Kamari Bolden, 22, of Atlanta, trafficking;
  • Laura Waugh, 17, of Morrow, trafficking and giving a false name and date of birth;
  • Kenneth Thomas, 22, of Fairburn, keeping a place of prostitution and pimping;
  • Douglas White, 26, of Dallas, trafficking and pimping.

Bolden, Thomas and White are being held without bond and Waugh is being held on a $25,000 bond, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records.

Police said the investigation is continuing and anyone with information is asked to call Marietta Police Detective Mark Erion at 770-794-5363.

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Man convicted for 2014 East Cobb murder sentenced to two life terms

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A Stockbridge man convicted for an East Cobb murder more than four years ago was sentenced to two consecutive life terms without parole on Monday.Johnathan Allen Wheeler, East Cobb murder

Cobb Superior Court Judge Mary Staley Clark issued the sentence to Johnathan Allan Wheeler Monday afternoon, not long after he was found guilty of malice murder by a jury.

Wheeler, now 35, was on trial last week for the murder of Jerry L. Moore, who was found stabbed 32 times at his home on Gracewood Drive, off Holly Springs Road, on Jan. 25, 2014.

Wheeler also was convicted of felony murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery and first-degree burglary, according to the Cobb District Attorney’s Office.

Cobb prosecutors said during the trial that Wheeler worked at a Woodstock bakery run by Moore’s roommate, Ross Byrne. Moore, who was 46 at the time of his death, was a half-owner in the business but wanted to get out, according to assistant Cobb District Attorney Jesse Evans.

Evans said during the trial that Byrne had been a business mentor to Wheeler and had moved out of Moore’s home a few weeks before the murder. After the stabbings, Evans said, Wheeler went to Byrne’s residence.

Wheeler’s cousin testified during the trial that he confessed to the murder. Cynthia Wheeler agreed to testify against Wheeler after being sentenced in 2016 for helping him clean up the home after the crime and stealing household items there.

The Cobb DA also said that Wheeler confessed to the murders to his brother and stepfather, both of whom testified at the trial.

“This was a relentless, sustained, malicious attack by a cold-blooded killer,” Evans told jurors in his closing statements  while showing them pictures at the crime scene, according to the DA’s office. “The defendant pursued, out of greed and out of malice. No human being should ever have this inflicted on them.”

Wheeler served nearly a decade in prison for robbery and assault in Cobb and Cherokee counties, and was released in 2010.

Over the last two years, Wheeler had written frequently from the Cobb County Adult Detention Center to the court in pleas for a speedy trial, according to documents filed with the Cobb Superior Court Clerk’s office.

More courts and trials news

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East Cobb Business Association seeking donors, sponsors for public safety appreciation dinners

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Precinct 4 officers honored at the East Cobb Business Association’s Public Safety Appreciation Dinner in 2017. (East Cobb News file photo)

The East Cobb Business Association is once again organizing public safety dinners for Cobb police and firefighters, and is asking for financial and prize donations and sponsorships.

The dinner for Precinct 4 police personnel is in the fall, and for county firefighters in April.

Susan Hampton and Kim Paris, co-chairs of the dinner, have sent out an appeal, and here’s more about the level of community involvement in the event:

We are blessed to live, work and raise our families in this wonderful community. We appreciate the continued support of The East Cobb Business Association, event host, and the presenting sponsor, WellStar East Cobb Health Park. Both are represented on the event committee that also includes individuals from East Cobb community-based groups including the Cobb Chamber’s East Cobb Area Council, East Cobb Citizen of the Year award recipients, area civic clubs, and representatives from both the police and fire departments.

We are delighted to continue to work together to plan these appreciation events, and to raise the funds necessary to insure their success. We are reaching out to individuals, businesses, civic and other nonprofit organizations, schools, neighborhoods and churches, and hope you will join us in support of our Public Safety heroes!

Monetary donations can be made in any amount, and for $25 individuals will be identified with a “Thank a Hero” card delivered to public safety honorees at the events.

Here’s more about donating and sponsoring, which run from $250 (silver), $500 (gold) and $1,000 (platinum). There’s also an online sign-up form and other information at that link.

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Cobb Police National Night Out is Tuesday; Coffee With a Cop returns to East Cobb Wednesday

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A couple of community-oriented events are coming up with Cobb Police this week, starting with National Night Out from 5-9 Tuesday at Jim Miller Park (2245 Callaway Road, Marietta). Here’s what will be going on: Cobb Police National Night Out

“This event is part of the continued effort to build and strengthen public safety personnel’s relationships with the community they serve. Admission is free and everyone is invited to enjoy an evening of food, fun and entertainment. There will be public safety demonstrations, 15 giant inflatable and water activities for children, food trucks and live music. The School of Rock will perform on the main stage all evening. Also, there will be balloon artists, face painters, jugglers and magicians. 

“National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes camaraderie to ensure our neighborhoods are safer, more caring places to live. National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. It also provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.”

On Wednesday, the Cobb Police Coffee With a Cop sessions resume in East Cobb. This is a chance to meet with police officers and ask crime and public safety questions. That session will be from 6-8 p.m. at Zaxby’s at 2981 Delk Road.

Another session takes place Aug. 17 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at Sterling Estates East Cobb (4220 Lower Roswell Road).

 

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Vehicle break-ins down in Cobb Police Precinct 4; ‘9 p. m. Reminder’ program begins

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The latest Cobb Police Precinct 4 crime statistics reveal some good news about burglaries and car break-ins.

In its monthly PENs notification message for July, Precinct 4 officers said that 32 residential burglaries have been reported since May, down 43 percent from this time a year ago.

Vehicle break-ins are also down a bit, from 107 from May-July 2017 to 101 this summer.

What police are continuing to encourage you to do, as they always do, is keep your vehicles locked at all times.

In recent weeks the department has been issuing social media reminders to lock up and stay safe, whether at home or in your car.

Cobb Police are calling this the #9pmReminder. Each evening at this time, the messages go out on their social media accounts for you to do the following:

  • Lock all doors (even back doors and porch doors)
  • Leave exterior lights on (they deter loitering and burglars)
  • Pull your car in the garage, if possible, and remove your valuables, LOCK, and CLOSE the garage door (just because your car is in a garage, doesn’t mean it is secure).
  • Bring all items of value indoors (lawn decorations, toys, etc.).
  • Bring in mail (it has your information on it and is sought by those who want to steal your identity).
  • Set your alarms before bed (burglars do not like audible alarms).

You can follow Cobb Police for these and other messages on their social media accounts: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Nextdoor.

 

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Man who robbed sailor and left him naked near Bells Ferry Road gets 25-year sentence

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An Atlanta man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for robbing a Navy sailor after an evening at a Marietta nightclub two years ago, pistol-whipping him and leaving him naked near Bells Ferry Road.Cortlyn Javon Martin, man who robbed sailor in Cobb

Cortlyn Javon Martin, 26, was convicted by a Cobb jury in June of armed robbery, kidnapping, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during commission of a felony.

On Thursday, he was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Lark Ingram.

Martin was a patron at the Club Rio, near the South Marietta Parkway and Franklin Gateway, on June 18, 2016, when he left the club with the sailor and other men by car, according to the Cobb District Attorney’s office.

The sailor was driving when Martin, sitting in the back seat, began pistol-whipping him, the DA’s office said, adding that Martin robbed the driver after forcing him to withdraw $500 from a bank ATM in Kennesaw.

The DA’s office said Martin then forced the victim to strip naked, and left him near Bells Ferry Road.

Martin, who was arrested two months after the incident, will be credited for the two years he has been in custody, according to the DA’s office.

“This defendant preyed upon an active-duty military member who was visiting Georgia for the first time on military leave,” assistant Cobb district attorney Kaitlin Southmayd said in a statement. “We are thankful for our victim’s service to his country and his willingness to tell his terrifying account to the jury.”

 

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East Cobb teenage girl who fell out of moving car has died; driver charged with vehicular homicide

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Alyssa Prindle, East Cobb teenage girl
Alyssa Prindle had recently graduated from Pope High School.

An East Cobb teenage girl who fell out of a moving car on Johnson Ferry Road earlier this month has died, and an arrest warrant has been issued for the driver.

Cobb Police Officer Sarah O’Hara said in a release this morning that Alyssa Prindle, 18, who suffered serious injuries in the incident, died Wednesday at WellStar Kennestone Hospital.

O’Hara said that the Cobb County Magistrate has issued an arrest warrant for Abigail Cook, 17, also of East Cobb, for 1st degree vehicular homicide.

According to police, Cook was driving a silver 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe northbound on Johnson Ferry Road near Sewell Mill Road around 2 a.m. on July 5 when Prindle, a backseat passenger, rolled down a window and began hanging out of the vehicle.

Police said Prindle was yelling and screaming and then fell out of the Hyundai. She was taken to Kennestone and placed in ICU, and O’Hara said this morning that she never left the hospital before dying of her injuries.

Cook was booked in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center and charged with DUI, reckless driving, serious injury by vehicle (a felony), underage possession of alcohol, possession of false identification and a violation of class D drivers license hour restrictions. She later bonded out of jail, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records.

A GoFundMe page had been set up by Prindle’s family to pay for medical expenses, but a message posted there Thursday announced that Prindle, a Pope High School graduate, “lost her fight. Her body just couldn’t keep going. There were too many injuries, and the doctors just couldn’t do anything else for her.”

The message continued:

“Please pray for our family as we go through a difficult next few days together.

“Her parents are Todd and Julie, and her 15-yr old brothers are Kyler and Bailey. We would love for you to be praying for them by name, as well as her extended family.”

 

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Motorist suffers serious injuries in weekend Powers Ferry Road crash

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Cobb Police said a 68-year-old woman suffered serious injuries Saturday afternoon in a Powers Ferry Road crash.Cobb Police, Powers Ferry Road crash

Public Information Officer Sarah O’Hara said in a statement issued Monday that Lynda Phillips of Marietta was taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital after the incident.

O’Hara said Phillips was driving a gray 2007 Saturn VUE northbound on Powers Ferry Road, north of Windy Hill Road, around 3:18 p.m. Saturday when the she lost control of the vehicle.

The Saturn crashed into a curb, then hit a retaining wall, according to police. O’Hara said a medical emergency may have caused the crash, but police are continuing to investigate.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Cobb County Police Department’s STEP Unit at 770-499-3987.

 

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UPDATED: Cobb jail inmate who escapes work detail at Fullers Park captured, arrested

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Christopher Shane Pruitt, Cobb jail inmate escapes

UPDATED, 8:40 P.M. THURSDAY

The Cobb Sheriff’s Office said Pruitt has been captured and arrested.

The sheriff’s office and Cobb Police responded to a suspicious person call at a residence at 1631 Wildwood Road, located between Roswell Road and the North Marietta Parkway.

Pruitt was identified by both law enforcement agencies and was taken to the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, where he had been incarcerated since May for a probation violation, the Cobb Sheriff’s Office said.

ORIGINAL REPORT, POSTED 4:24 P.M.:

Cobb Sheriff Neil Warren said a county jail inmate escaped a work detail at Fullers Park today.

He said Christopher Shane Pruitt walked away from a cleanup at Fullers Park on Robinson Road in East Cobb around 11 a.m.

Pruitt is incarcerated for a probation violation after an original charge of theft by taking of a motor vehicle.

Warren said Pruitt is a white male, 47 years old, about 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds.

Pruitt was last seen in a white shirt and pants with a blue stripe on his pants leg. The back of the shirt says “COBB COUNTY PRISONER.”

Warren said he’s not considered an immediate danger to the public, but if you see him do not approach him. Instead, call the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office at 770-499-4639.

 

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