The Blotter: Message masquerade

Near Tullwater Park, a woman found a skeleton mask inside her locked car. The mask had the words “Ugly Monster” scrawled across its forehead. According to the woman, the mask is the latest in a long line of weird items left in her car. On separate incidents, she found the following bizarre items inside her locked car: a rose with a photo taped to it; a blue scary Halloween mask; and a letter stating that the woman is ugly. “I asked the woman if she had any prior enemies, or people who did not like her,” the reporting officer wrote. “She said no.” The woman is concerned because creepy stuff has been showing up in her locked car for at least two years and she has no idea who is behind it. The skeleton mask, the blue mask, and the rose were turned in as evidence.

Touchy subject

An Alabama woman visiting Atlanta decided to get a massage at a local spa. During the massage, the Alabama woman felt what she believed to be the masseuse “placing his genitals in her hand,” according to the police report. The shocked woman said she didn’t say anything and continued receiving the massage. Then she felt the firm sensation again. “She said she put her clothes on and she didn’t say anything and paid for her massage and left,” the officer wrote.

Hours later, the woman returned to the spa to confront the masseuse. He denied any inappropriate touching, saying he did not place his genitals — or any other body part — in the woman’s hand. “He stated that she might have felt the lotion bottles that were in his left and right pockets,” the officer wrote. Further, the masseuse says he was not attracted to the Alabama woman — or any other woman — because he is gay. His boss confirmed there were no previous complaints against this masseuse. No charges were filed.

First World problems

A 43-year-old man called police and said that every time he drives to work near Lakewood, someone scratches his Mercedes. He said he parks near a security station, but still finds tiny scratches on his car every day. An officer arrived to deal with the problem: “I saw the very small scratches, which were likely from the vehicle being driven on the highway,” the officer wrote. “I informed him that scratches were likely from small particles of rocks or other items when the vehicle is on the roadway. He insisted on getting a report.”

Face the music

During a big-name concert at a venue near Downtown, a woman selling merch heard a door slam in an area that’s supposed to be cordoned off from the public. The woman went to investigate and spotted a 24-year-old man writing on the walls with a large permanent marker. The woman yelled for security. The 24-year-old man apologized and said he couldn’t help himself because he has ADHD. He scribbled graffiti on the hallway walls, in several offices, and on the back of a large video projection screen. The 24-year-old said the music venue should lock all the doors so that people like him couldn’t get in and do what he did. He said he couldn’t believe he went on this graffiti rampage — he really likes this particular music venue. Too bad, because now he’s permanently banned from said music venue.

One night can last forever

An Atlanta man said he met a woman on St. Patrick’s Day 2013 and had a “sexual encounter” with her that same night. The man said that since then, the woman has harassed him with threats of blackmail, and has called and texted him more than 40 times a day. The man said he’s scared because the woman is a felon with an extensive criminal record. He says the woman even called his mother in New Jersey to track him down. The man said the woman has found his address and now he is scared for “his life, and his guitars and other equipment.”

Shameless scam

A 23-year-old deaf woman and her roommates were scammed out of rent money. “Everyone in the house was deaf, so we communicated through writing,” the officer noted. “She gave me her [iPad], where she was communicating with this unknown person ... his office is in Ibadan, Nigeria.” The man told the deaf woman that she had won $120,000 cash but she needed to send him $150 so he could ship the winnings to her. For about two weeks, they went back and forth about “why and how she was supposed to send the money,” the officer noted. The Nigerian man instructed the deaf woman to send $500 via Western Union, and convinced her to give him her bank account info and her Social Security number.

In a written message, the deaf woman explained to the man that she and her roommates only had $600 total for rent money and needed more time to come up with the rest. Sure, the man wrote, but you’ll be charged a late fee of $400. So the deaf woman and her roommates sent their rent money to the Nigerian man, figuring they’d pay the rent with the big winnings. Of course, no money ever showed up. The man kept writing that he “was waiting on the bank to confirm that he got their money so he could send the winning cash prize to their door.”

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