Jury in deliberation over murder at Target case

Gwinnett County, Ga. jury deliberating murder charge against Luthersville woman
The Republic
The jury was deliberating Monday in the case of Joanna Hayes, who is charged with killing Heather Strube in a Snellville Target parking lot in 2009. Authorities say Strube was in the middle of a divorce with her husband, Stephen, at the time. ...

Running from a roadblock considered a clue

A Snellville police officer had a K-9 conduct a free air sniff of a vehicle after the driver was arrested following a foot pursuit as he fled from a safety checkpoint. The driver turned abruptly into the State Farm office on US-78 and jumped out his car and began running away. While running, he threw down the key fob, which was found. The Police dog gave a indicated the presence of an odor of narcotics. Based on this positive indication, a search warrant was obtained. As he conducted the warrant search of the vehicle, the officer found a bag containing a felony amount of marijuana. The driver was charged with the drug offense DUI and alcohol DUI, drugs, and reckless driving.

Others you might like:

Guy busted for several offenses at QT on Scenic Hwy, including drugs he kept in a jewelry box.
http://tinyurl.com/4olzaud

Fight in front of Atlanta Bread Company. What was that all about?
http://tinyurl.com/48cy99d

If you plan to drink, fight, curse, and walk out on a bill, don't leave stuff behind like your cell phone. http://tinyurl.com/4ejxg3w

Ridiculous Quantity of Violations

I hope the police have ordered extra long ticket forms.

A Snellville Police Sergeant ran a computer check on a vehicle, which determined that the registered owner was wanted for DUI in Gwinnett County. He stopped the vehicle for traffic infractions and requested consent to search the vehicle, based on criminal indicators he observed. The driver's license was found to be suspended.

Another Snellville Police officer responded to assist. An officer located a quantity of cocaine in the vehicle. K-9 officer Chris conducted a sniff of the containers in the vehicle and gave an indication of narcotics in one of the containers. The officer located even more cocaine in that container. The man was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

K9 Bart Assists in Marijuana Arrest

Officer Collins of the Snellville Police Department stopped a pickup truck for a tag and window tint violation. The driver had a suspended license for controlled substances and an active warrant for probation violation.

He asked the driver to step from the vehicle and observed marijuana residue on the floor of the vehicle. Officer Collins and his K-9 partner, Bart conducted a free air sniff of the vehicle. Bart gave an indication for
the presence of narcotic odor. Officer Collins located a small quantity of marijuana and charged the driver with a misdemeanor drug offense, the traffic violations and the felony probation warrant from Barrow County;

Marijuana Buyer & Seller Arrested at QT

A Snellville Police corporal went to the Quik-Trip on US 78 to collect a video of a suspect who had been in the store overnight. While there, he observed a drug deal take place in the parking lot. He approached the woman and talked to her. She admitted to purchasing 4 ounces of marijuana. The officer arrested both offenders for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

Traffic stop of van yields marijuana arrest

A Snellville Police officer received a report of a van driving dangerously and erratically, nearly causing several accidents. The officer observed a violation and stopped the van for the traffic offense. According to the police report, the driver exhibited several criminal indicators. The officer asked for the driver's consent for the officer to search the vehicle. The driver gave his consent. From the search, the officer located a grocery bag with nearly 10 ounces of marijuana. The driver was charged with felony drug offense and the vehicle was seized.

"Target killing" set to go to trial

Joanna Hayes' trial will likely be scheduled for May, 2011.

Trial set in Target killing
Gwinnettdailypost.com
LAWRENCEVILLE — A hearing scheduled this week in the infamous Target parking lot killing of Heather Strube has been continued, though her mother-in-law is ...

Female suspect sought in Snellville bank robbery

The suspect is described as a black woman between 30 and 50 years old, approximately 5-foot-6 and 125 pounds with large hips. (Their words, not mine lol)  She was last seen wearing a purple V-neck tee shirt with a white design over a black long sleeve shirt, black pants and shoes. 

The woman held up the BB & T Bank on Hwy. 124/Scenic Highway and Oak Road in Snellville between 11 a.m. and noon on Thursday. She passed a note to a teller asking for $15K.

The police say they expect more robberies as the holidays approach: "People do tend to use banks as an easy target for the robberies for quick access to cash when in actuality they aren't thinking about the federal repercussions of the federal crime they're committing."

If you recognize the woman pictured above, please call the Snellville Police Department at 770-985-3568.

Police: Woman Robbed Snellville Bank - News Story - WSB Atlanta
SNELLVILLE, Ga. -- Police in Gwinnett County said a female bank robber is on the run Friday morning. Police said the woman held up the BB&T Bank on Scenic ...

Unusual Suspect in Snellville Bank Robbery
News/Talk 750 WSB
By Sandra Parrish @ November 18, 2010 2:51 PM Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) (WSB Radio) -- Snellville Police are looking for an usual suspect in ...

Police seek BB&T robber
Gwinnettdailypost.com
SNELLVILLE — Police are asking for help identifying the middle aged woman they say robbed a Snellville bank late Thursday morning. ...

Snellville Police arrest high risk individual

The Snellville Police Department acted on what they called a "high risk warrant" for the Loganville Police Department in the early morning hours of October 31st.  Snellville's Special Response Team took the suspect safely into custody from a home on Pate Road inside the city limits of Snellville. A young child in the house at the time was unharmed.

Police make arrest in murder of Snellville woman

Police have arrested an acquaintance of murder victim Eva May Francis of Snellville in connection with her death.

Gwinnett County Police Photo

Damion Barton, age 31, was arrested on a charge of malice murder. The arrest happened at a home in Conyers sometime during the weekend. Police said Barton was an acquaintance of the family, and at one time had lived in the Francis' home on Garnet Way in unincorporated Gwinnett County.

Police: Woman's death was no accident

Neighbors are worried about their own safety after a  woman believed to be about 60-years-old was found dead in her home on Garnet Way in Snellville (unincorporated Gwinnett.)

According to reports, the woman's husband was in Canada on business at the time of the woman's murder. He called a friend to check on his wife after he was unable to reach her by phone.

A Gwinnett County Police spokesperson said that the circumstances surrounding the case are very suspicious, but detectives are still at only the beginning stages of the murder investigation. Police say motivation could have been a robbery, but that the victim could have known the killer.

Anyone with any information to share is urged to contact detectives at 770-513-5300 or Crime Stoppers: 404-577-8477. Information regarding the case can be given anonymously. Police said a reward of up to $2,000 is possible for information that leads to arrest.

Related:

Murdered woman identified as Eva May Francis, age 61

Cell phone nabbers on surveillance video

A cell phone theft ring stole an estimated $9,500 worth of phones from the Snellville Wal-Mart store. The arrests occurred back in the end of July (See earlier blog post about the cell phone thefts)

What IS new is that police released surveillance photos of the suspects in action at the Snellville discount store:

Updates in the South Gwinnett shooting case

More information is coming to the surface about the shooting that occurred on the grounds of Britt Elementary School in Snellville following a South Gwinnett High School football game.

Three suspects have been arrested so far. Police say they believe that neither of the two most recent suspects arrested were the trigger man in the shooting. They are Leander Smith, age 17 and Brad Louden, 18 of Loganville. Both teens were said to have firearms with them at the time of the Friday night shooting incident.

The 16-year-old who is the suspected trigger-man will likely be prosecuted as an adult. He's currently being held in a juvenile detention facility.  More arrests may be forthcoming as more is learned about the altercation.

The victim in the shooting was Donya Dorch, age 16, of Suwanee Ga.  Dorch was shot in the chest. As of yesterday, he was still hospitalized at Gwinnett Medical Center.

Gwinnett County Schools spokesperson told the Gwinnett Daily Post newspaper that Brad Louden is enrolled as a senior at Hooper Renwick School in Lawrenceville, and that 17-year-old Smith is in 8th grade at Grace Snell Middle School. Although Smith is on the rolls for Snell Middle School, officials said he hadn't attended classes at all this year. From his conversations with police, apparently Leander Smith revealed that he was at the rank of "Captain" in his gang, but somehow I don't think that's going to impress many people on an employment application.

Both Smith and Louden have been charged with felony weapon possession and gang participation. At some point during the evening, Smith pointed a gun at another person and threatened to squeeze the trigger. That shooting threat added aggravated assault to his charges. Snellville Police Chief Roy Whitehead said that police investigators were able to locate the weapons in the homes of both suspects.

Related Links:
Teen shot in chest 
Two teens arrested in connection to Snellville shooting 
Teen shooter may be tried as an adult

Teen arrested for Snellville shooting

Teen arrested for shooting teen in chest at Gwinnett school
Atlanta Journal Constitution
Because the suspect is a minor, his name will not be released, Snellville police Chief Roy Whitehead said. The victim was shot in the chest Friday night in ...

Police say Snellville man watched child porn with young nephew

Police say he watched child porn with his underage nephew.

Cops: Man watched child porn with nephew
Atlanta Journal Constitution
The name and age of Zahradnick's nephew was not released, but he was described as a juvenile. He is being held without bond at the Gwinnett County jail...

Snellville woman accused of horse trailer scam

SNELLVILLE — A Snellville woman is accused of baiting Craigslist users into wiring more than $40000 for horse trailers that never existed. ...

Police believe Maureen Crosson, 45, used the popular online classified ad post to bilk victims as far flung as Illinois, Montana and Texas.

Crosson reportedly suckered victims into wiring a total between $40,000 and $50,000 to her business checking account, Seysha Investments of Snellville, promising advertised horse trailers in return. Two transactions listed in Crosson’s arrest warrants are for sums of $8,900 and $9,200.

“Within days, she would withdraw the money from the account and, of course, no horse trailer would arrive,” a Gwinnett police investigator wrote in an e-mail.

Crosson was arrested on related charges in Dawson County on July 6, where she remains without bond.

Excerpted from:
Trailers bait in online scam
Gwinnettdailypost.com

Snellville family charged with pot trafficking

Family charged with trafficking marijuana worth $30K
Atlanta Journal Constitution
By Raisa Habersham A Snellville family of three has been arrested for trafficking marijuana after Gwinnett County investigators were sent an anonymous tip ...

Family jailed on drug charges
Gwinnettdailypost.com
SNELLVILLE — Police say an anonymous tip led to the drug-related arrests of a Snellville mother and her two teenaged children Monday. ...


One of the teens is a registered Brookwood High School student.

Snellville man arrested on child porn

A Snellville man was arrested on child porn charges. The police have not found evidence that the man took any photographs himself, but said the man had CD's and DVD's full of material that exploited children. A relative came forward to police and said that the man had exposed a 15-year-old relative to indecent materials for the last two years. The man lived on Country Farm Road in Snellville.

Relative leads cops to child porn cache
Gwinnettdailypost.com
SNELLVILLE — A family member led police to a cache of child pornography in a Snellville home that included hundreds of CDs and DVDs, police said Wednesday. ...

Snellville car break in

There was a car break-in at the Brookside Community pool (Rockdale Circle) Monday July 5th between 7 and 8pm. The car was locked, but a purse was inside the car and visible.  A window was busted out.

I was in the parking lot right after this happened, and I took this photo.

If you notice the glass is on the pavement outside the car. Usually, when something like a crowbar or a baseball bat is used, the glass would go INTO the car. But this is on the outside. So I think it's likely the criminal had a 'Rescue Seat Belt Cutter Tool' (the kind that has the emergency cutter for seat belts on one side, and the metal point on the other side for breaking glass).  They look like the tool pictured at right, although it may come in different colors. The perp probably tapped the glass and it fell outward.

They are sold as a safety item, but in this case it was a tool for commission of a crime. I would bet that the woman's purse was stripped of valuables and then discarded in the dumpsters of a nearby store, like CVS or the Quick Trip up at the corner of US78 and Rockdale Circle (because the criminals don't want to be caught with the purse, they usually just want the cash and electronics that might be in it). I urged the victim to check the dumpsters. Sometimes victims can at least find the purse and their driver's license - which can be a real pain to replace.

Members of the Brookside Swim and Tennis Community have been notified of this break in, and will all be on alert for any odd activity in the area.

Car break ins have been on the rise in the Snellville and Loganville area. Remember to lock your car, and take any valuables with you or at least hide them out of sight. Report any suspicious activity to 911.

Murder for hire

Murder for hire an act of desperation
Gainesville Times

"Three months after the Snellville woman placed a hysterical call to 911 from a North Hall park reporting her husband had been shot and was not breathing, she was arrested on suspicion of paying as much as $10,000 to have a hit man kill 46-year-old Richard Schoeck.

Stacey Schoeck, who authorities believe went through with a premeditated plan in order to collect $500,000 in life insurance, could face life in prison or the death penalty.

Committing murder for the purpose of receiving money and directing another to commit murder are both aggravating circumstances that can qualify a case for the death penalty."