The Blotter: Hot plot

At a downtown bail bond company, a 46-year-old man said he was eating his lunch in the office when the janitor freaked out because he was using the janitor’s hot sauce. “I’m going to come over there and beat the crap out of you!” the janitor screamed. “Stand up and fight me!” The man refused to fight so the janitor rushed at him with a broomstick and slammed it into the man’s left elbow. The man was bloody from the blow.

Cops talked with the janitor, 49, who said the other guy stole his hot sauce from the company fridge and that upset him. He said the man ordered him to walk into the cleaning closet and he would get some more hot sauce. Also, the janitor claimed the other guy hit him with a broomstick. When the cop said that his story didn’t line up with what witnesses said, the janitor claimed everyone at the bond company is out to get him and they framed him.

The cop charged the janitor with acting violently. Conveniently, the jail is located across the street from the bonding company, so they walked the janitor to jail.

Seeking bailout: Police responded to a business on Howell Mill Road about possible check fraud. The manager said she was notified about fraudulent activity on business’s bank account in an unusual way: Alledgedly, a North Carolina man called the business and said his wife had accepted a baby-sitting job that she found on Craigslist.com. After the baby-sitting gig, the wife said she was paid with a check for $2,650 (yes, that’s the amount!) and the check was from the parent company of the business in question. The North Carolina husband thought that was weird, so he called the business about the suspicious check, which immediately put a stop payment on all unusual checks.

Odd pickup technique: A 24-year-old woman who works at a store at Atlantic Station said a male co-worker started waving a toy gun in a joking manner and she did not find his antics amusing. Apparently, the male co-worker pushed the toy gun in her side and said, “I’m going to get you.” The woman said she gave him “a look” that would let him know she was not amused. “You really shouldn’t do that,” she told him. The next day, the male-coworker approached her again. This time, he was upset because someone had reported the toy-gun incident to his boss. According to the police report, the man said, “Someone told on me and if that was you, I’m going to be very upset.” The woman said she wasn’t the one who ratted on him and asked the male co-worker to please leave her alone.

Nine days later, the woman was headed to the restroom when the male co-worker blocked her by putting his arm over the restroom door. Then, he made physical advances and asked her out on a date. No way, the woman said. Later that day, the male co-worker was fired.

Officer fix-it: A police officer responded to a call about a possible burglary in Garden Hills. A woman said someone broke into her apartment and damaged her clothes and her stereo. The woman “showed me the stereo she claimed was broken, stating that she was unsure how to work it,” the officer noted. “After several minutes I was able to determine that the stereo was operational and showed her how to use the equipment properly.” Then, the woman showed the cop one of her dresses — it had several small tears in the fabric. Perplexed, the woman said she keeps her clothes locked up in a closet that only she has access to. The woman also mentioned she is bipolar. The officer made a report and kindly told her where she could pick it up.

Chesta what?: A police officer went to Sylvan Hills to deal with a 60-year-old man who said someone stole $400 from his wallet. The man said that earlier that day, he brought a male visitor to his home, but he doesn’t remember the male visitor’s name. “The money was to be used to pay his rent,” the officer wrote. “He stated that his wallet was on his chester drawer [sic] beside his bed.”

Abstract message: In Morningside, a 24-year-old woman said her car was vandalized while it was parked outside her home on Reeder Circle. Someone used a “black magic marker and scribbled along both sides of the vehicle,” an officer noted. Apparently, there were no legible words on her silver Acura, just scribble-scrabble. She has no idea who would want to target her car.

Items in the Blotter are taken from actual Atlanta police reports. The Blotter Diva compiles them and puts them into her own words.