The Blotter: Thanks for being a friend

In South Buckhead, a man said he invited a new friend over to play cards at his apartment. The man said he “just recently became friendly with him a week ago, inviting him to play cards with a few friends last week,” a cop noted. His new friend (a 37-year-old man) was thrilled and eager to play again — he was hanging out on the Buckhead man’s doorstep when he came home. The two men played cards for a couple of hours. Eventually, the friend fell asleep on the couch and the Buckhead man fell asleep in his bedroom “after watching an episode of the ‘Golden Girls.’” When the Buckhead man woke up, his new friend was gone. Also missing from man’s apartment: four watches, a silver bracelet, two rings, three home phones, a cell phone, and $50 cash. Adding insult to injury, his new friend allegedly stole some blue pajama pants with a matching red shirt. The pajamas were taken from the Buckhead man’s dresser drawer while he slept.

Being a friend, part II

A 24-year-old man received a call from a female friend he met at a club last November. The friend asked him for $20 because her grandmother had thrown her out and she didn’t have any money. The man drove to his friend’s grandmother’s house, but she wasn’t there. The female friend called again and asked him to meet her at a Stanton Road apartment. OK, the man agreed. He drove to the apartment, spotted his friend standing outside, and handed her $40. She asked him to come upstairs and chill for a minute. OK, the man said. He walked upstairs to the apartment and his friend closed the door behind him, locking it. Suddenly, a stranger in a black ski mask jumped out from behind the kitchen refrigerator with a gun and yelled, “Get on the ground!” The gunman wore a stylish green-and-red Gucci belt and Nike Air Force 1 shoes.

The 24-year-old said his friend and the gunman tied him up and took his blue-and-gray hoodie and his Levi jeans. He said they took his wallet containing $200 cash and credit cards and then tossed him into another room and left him alone in the apartment. After waiting a few hours, the man eventually escaped. He walked outside in his underwear and realized something else important was missing: his car.

Being a friend, part III

A 34-year-old East Atlanta man accidentally left his identification card in a female friend’s car. He called his friend, who said she would only return his ID if he gave her $25. He agreed to her request and they met at around 10 p.m. near East Atlanta Village. The man said he handed over the $25 and his friend grabbed the money and drove away without returning his ID. The man said he called police and tried to file a report right after his friend left but the responding officer felt he was too intoxicated. The man had to wait until the next morning to report his friend’s scheme.

Waiting to inhale

Outside an adult store on Cheshire Bridge Road, a man was passed out in a brand-new car. The store manager found the guy when she showed up for work and flagged down a cop. “The engine was running and the lights were on,” the officer noted. “I could clearly see a man in the driver’s seat, clutching a silver-colored container with his left hand and what appeared to be a light blue jacket in his right hand. The jacket appeared to have been sprayed with a type of clear liquid that left a large, noticeable white stain.”

A strong chemical smell wafted from a cracked-open car window. The cop noted, “Fearing for the driver’s well-being, I opened the vehicle door and called for the man to wake up.” No response. “The chemical smell was overpowering and made it difficult to breathe.” The officer gently took the silver container and jacket from the man’s hands and the man suddenly woke up. The cop noted, “I could only receive a blank stare from the individual ... even after asking the male for his name and how he was feeling.”

After a few minutes, the man admitted he’d been “huffin’.” He still had absolutely no idea where he was. The cop noted, “I also noticed that the driver had a colorful substance that had stained his white button-down shirt and he appeared to have thrown up in the vehicle sometime prior as [vomit] had dried to the center console and carpeting.”

Inside the man’s car, police found 30 silver containers of “Maximum Impact,” which uses aerosol to deliver the solvent ethyl chloride. Also, police found a large black trash bag containing the man’s briefcase, laptop, and cellphone. The suspect, 37, went to jail on a “hallucinogen-other” charge.

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