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Local business hit by copper thief

Local business hit by copper thief

DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. -- A Hiram man already facing burglary charges was back in Douglas County court Monday accused of stealing aluminum and copper from a local business.

Bradley Alan Grote, 29, was charged with felony t..... Read More

Elderly man beaten and robbed of his car

Elderly man beaten and robbed of his car

DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. -- A Villa Rica man is facing several charges after allegedly beating and robbing a 79-year-old man of his 2004 Lincoln Town Car.

Sy Daniell Smith, 32, of Villa Rica appeared in Douglas County court ..... Read More

Cobb teacher charged with child molestation

Cobb teacher charged with child molestation

POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. -- A teacher and coach at a private school in Cobb County has been charged with molesting one of his students.

Robert Carlysle Cartwright Jr., 46, was arrested Mar. 27. He is a teacher and coach at Midway Covenant Christian School in Powder Springs.

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Paulding County Sheriff's Cpl. Ashley Henson said Cartwright molested a boy at his Douglasville home last November. The victim is a student at Midway Covenant Christian School and played on several sports teams that Cartwright coached.

Investigators in Cobb and Paulding counties are now looking into the possibility that Cartwright had more victims.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Paulding County Sheriff's Office at 770-445-6105.

Former Girl Scout treasurer accused of stealing from troop

Former Girl Scout treasurer accused of stealing from troop

DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. -- A Villa Rica woman accused of stealing nearly $10,000 from a Girl Scout troop spent some of the money on a senior dating service, according to Douglasville police.

Darlene Jo Lewis, 49, appeared i..... Read More

Thieves after truck batteries instead of copper

Thieves after truck batteries instead of copper

ATLANTA -- First it was copper, now thieves are after a much heavier target that they steal and sell to scrap yards.

At least two metro area counties are reporting an increase in the theft of truck batteries.

Thieves are after batteries from this truck, all of them...all of them weigh in excess of sixty pounds It's a lot of work to steal something like this, but the suspects in this case made it easy for sheriff's deputies by leaving a cell phone and pictures.

Dennis Stanley surveys the trucks around his repair shop, and discovers where thieves have left their mark.

"I hate to keep looking," he said. "I had about 40 stacked up, they unloaded every one of those, that was a good haul for them."

Dennis Stanley is just one of many victims caught up in the newest trend in crime.

Suspects leave cell phone and picture at scene of battery thefts

Suspects leave cell phone and picture at scene of battery thefts

DOUGLASVILLE, Ga - Investigators in two metro Atlanta counties say they're seeing a new trend in crime ever since the state started its crackdown of copper thefts. 

In one case, the suspects made it easy for investigators by leaving a cell phone and picture behind.  

Thieves are now targeting large industrial truck batteries that can be sold at scrap yards for the lead.   

In Douglas County, Dennis Stanley is one of several victims.  Most recently he had at least a dozen batteries stolen from trucks parked at his repair shop.  It's not as many as criminals got the last time they came to his business.   

"I had about 40 stacked up, and they unloaded every one of those," said Stanley. "That was a good haul for them."

Investigators in both Douglas and Fulton Counties have witnessed the trend.   

2 charged in Zaxby's robbery

2 charged in Zaxby's robbery

POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. -- Two Douglasville residents have been arrested for a fast food restaurant robbery earlier this month.

Forty-year-old Scott Ray Chastain and 46-year-old Stanley Ray Chastain were both charged with robbery in connection with the Feb. 7 incident at the Zaxby's on Brownsville Road in Powder Springs.

Powder Springs Police Maj. Matt Boyd said the Chastains hit the restaurant right as it opened for the day. One of the suspects demanded cash from the register. After receiving the money, he ran to a getaway car, where the other suspect was waiting.

Scott and Stanley Chastain also face charges for a similar robbery in Hiram on Feb. 6, Boyd said.