The Blotter July 18 2007

ALL-AMERICAN FAMILY: Two sisters got into a fight about the air conditioning at their house on Fairburn Road. The older sister said one wanted the air conditioning on, and the other wanted it off. The older sister's lip was bruised. The younger sister said her older sister came at her with a pair of scissors and she had to defend herself by hitting her. The sisters are ages 34 and 38. Their mother witnessed their spat. Both sisters were charged with disturbing the peace and taken to jail.

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AMERICA, THE BEAUTIFUL? After some July 4 fireworks ended in downtown Atlanta, a 48-year-old man said he and a friend were walking along Marietta Street. Then, he said, six men approached. He said one man took his bag, and they also took his wallet. He said the men hit his face and broke his glasses. He said he fell to the ground, and the men hit his knees and back. Also, he said the men threw food on him.

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AMERICAN WOMAN: On the day before July 4, a 40-year-old woman walked into the Kroger on Caroline Street and allegedly stole a bottle of wine, some bacon ($15 worth), some Kraft cheese and one Uncle Billy's sausage. She was arrested for shoplifting.

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ALL-AMERICAN MAN? A 43-year-old Lithonia man said he was distracted by one of the local prostitutes on Metropolitan Parkway, so he drove into the Pittsburg neighborhood, for no reason at all, just to get a better look. He said when he got to Arthur Street, a man pointed a gun at him and ordered him out of his car (a Dodge with four lawn mowers in the back). The Lithonia man couldn't provide the license plate number for his own car, or any of the serial numbers of the four lawn mowers.

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FAST-FOOD FIREWORKS: At a Wendy's on Howell Mill Road, a 23-year-old female employee said she was preparing burgers when she accidentally used the wrong spatula for the raw meat. She said one manager got really angry and yelled at her. She said this manager clocked her out and told her to go home. She said she tried to talk to another manager, and the first manager started pushing her to the door.

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The first manager's side of the story: He said he asked the employee to follow several guidelines, but she never accepts any direction from management and she does not like being told what to do. He said he did clock her out, but never put his hands on her. The second manager corroborated his story.

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The second manager added: Earlier that day, this same female employee shouted at another employee – and the other employee started crying and went home because of her actions. Also, he said another employee saw the 23-year-old employee get into a verbal altercation with a MARTA bus driver earlier that morning. No arrests were made.

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LET FREEDOM RING? On Cheshire Bridge Road, a 24-year-old woman said a stranger is harassing her by phone. She said this stranger is telling her to take a pill. "Confusing it is to her, and she has no suspects," the officer wrote. Apparently, the stranger is calling from a blocked number. No further information.

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STAR-SPANGLED BANNER? A woman said her boyfriend accused her of being the reason he missed his flight and assaulted her. She said he hit her with his fist and choked her. She said they've been in a relationship for three years and living together for two months. She said her boyfriend is a professional football player and will most likely leave the area for Denver in the next couple of days. Police informed her of her rights. She refused medical attention.

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AMERICAN TRADE-OFF: At a gas station on Metropolitan Parkway, a woman said a man opened the cooler door, grabbed two cases of Miller Lite beer and left the store without paying for the beer. So she called police. For some reason, when the officer arrived, the man with the beer was still at the gas station. The man, age 53, said he stole one case of beer to get some help with his drug addiction. The other case of beer was not recovered. The man was charged with shoplifting and went to jail.

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FAIR-WEATHER FRIENDS: A 43-year-old from Cleveland, Tenn., said he parked his gold Isuzu at a gas pump at a gas station on Cheshire Bridge Road. He said he left the keys in the car and stepped away for a moment — and someone stole his car. He believes it was stolen by some friends who traveled to Atlanta with him. He said his friends called and said they had his keys. He said he didn't actually see his friends take the keys, so he doesn't know if they are playing a joke on him or not. He said his friends are already on their way back to Tennessee. And, apparently, he is stuck in Atlanta without a ride.

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HAT TRICK: A 24-year-old woman said she went to a man's house on North Olympian Way to return his hat. She said he wouldn't take the hat from her and he jumped into her car. She said he tried to grab her keys from the ignition, and she tried to stop him. Then, she said, the man bit her back, near her shoulder. Then, she said, he grabbed her keys and threw them on the roof of the house next door. She said the man jumped into his car and left for a brief moment ... and then returned. She said the man got back in her car and poured oil on the floor of her car. Then, she said, he got back in his own car and drove away.

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