Canton Police Snag Purse-Snatching Crew

The Canton Police Department recently snagged a purse snatching crew that had been preying on unsuspecting shoppers.  The crew had been taking purses from the shopping carts of women who were distracted while shopping at local stores.

(Video: Suspect taking a purse from victim at Walmart on November 1, 2017)

Canton Detectives began investigating the case after a purse snatching that occurred on Sunday, October 29, 2017 at the Publix located at 1451 Riverstone Pkwy.  Detectives were able to identify the suspects based on witness descriptions of the suspects and their vehicle.  Their investigation unveiled that the suspects were also committing various other crimes in surrounding jurisdictions.

On the evening of November 1, 2017, Canton Officers were dispatched to the report of another purse snatching at Walmart, located at 1550 Riverstone Pkwy.  Officers arrived, and Walmart Loss Prevention directed them to a fleeing suspect, identified as Curtiss Cavender.  Officers located Cavender in a nearby restaurant parking lot and took him into custody.  Canton Detectives interviewed Cavender and learned the names of his accomplices, Ravin Riedinger and Gregory Cummings.  Arrest warrants were issued for both suspects and they were subsequently located and arrested on November 13, 2017, after they were involved in a domestic dispute.   

All three (3) suspects were charged with two (2) counts of Robbery by Sudden Snatching and one (1) count of Theft by Shoplifting.  Mr. Cavender was also charged with one (1) count of Entering Auto as well as various other charges in relation to the domestic dispute. Mr. Riedinger also received a charge of Simple Battery FVA for his involvement in the domestic dispute.

Chief Mark Mitchell said, “We are very proud of our hardworking Officers and Detectives that apprehended these individuals who were preying on our citizens.  This is also a very good reminder to our public for the need to always be aware of your surroundings and do all you can to safeguard yourself from becoming a victim of this type of criminal activity, especially during the holiday season.

Curtiss Blake Cavender  (Canton, GA)
Age: 20 (DOB: 11/18/1996)
Robbery x2 (F)
Theft by Shoplifting (M)
Battery (M)
Criminal Attempt to Commit Misdemeanor (M)
Entering Auto (F)
Theft by Taking (M)

Gregory Tyler Cummings (Canton, GA)
Age: 26 (DOB: 02/17/1991)
Robbery X2 (F)
Theft by Shoplifting

Ravin Riedinger (Canton, GA)
Age: 21 (DOB: 06/25/1996)
Simple Battery FVA (M)
Robbery X2 (F)
Theft by Shoplifting

Safe Shopping Tips:

• Be extra careful if you do carry a wallet or purse. They are the prime targets of criminals in crowded shopping areas
• Shop during daylight hours whenever possible. If you must shop at night, go with a friend or family member
• Don’t be distracted by using electronic devices while shopping
• Avoid wearing expensive jewelry
• Even though you are rushed and thinking about a thousand things, stay alert to your surroundings
• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash
• Pay for purchases with a check or credit card when possible
• Keep cash in your front pocket
• Notify the credit card issuer immediately if your credit card is lost, stolen or misused
• Keep a record of all of your credit card numbers in a safe place
• Avoid overloading yourself with packages. It is important to have clear visibility and freedom of motion to avoid mishaps
• Beware of strangers approaching you for any reason. At this time of year, "con-artists" may try various methods of distracting you with the intention of taking your money or belongings

Canton Police hold 30th "Coffee with a Cop"

The Police Department’s next Coffee with a Cop will be the 30th such event held since the agency started the important outreach program. The next event will be on Wednesday, November 22, 2017, from 9:00 - 11:00 am., at the Starbucks, located at 1353 Riverstone Pkwy, Canton, GA. This on-going outreach allows Officers and citizens to connect, engage, problem solve and build important trusting relationships which are vital to improving the quality of life for everyone in the community.

Chief Mark J. Mitchell stated, “It’s hard to believe this is our 30th Coffee with a Cop Meeting. We are honored to have met so many people who engage with us and simply come to talk to our Officers and discuss how to solve community issues together. We look forward to the next 30 events to continue our goal of building a foundation of trust with each segment of our community and diligently grow a very positive culture between our hard-working department and this great City.”

Chief Mitchell added, “I want to thank our citizens for their support and feedback over the past two and a half years since the inception of this program. We truly believe this work greatly assists us to provide better police services and also “humanizes the badge” to both adults and children. Our hope is our citizens will see we truly care about them, their quality of life, their safety and what goes on in our City.”

Detectives Investigate Shots Fired

On Tuesday, November 14, 2017, at approximately 9:07 PM., Canton Officers responded to a “shots fired” call, located on Jefferson Circle. Officers arrived at the location and learned from witnesses, a burgundy/red colored car had fled the area as the shots were fired. Witnesses stated the vehicle was occupied by several black males.

Detectives determined shots were fired at a duplex apartment by evidence collected at the scene. The residents of the apartment were not home at the time of the incident.

This is an ongoing investigation and further details will be given when available.

Officers will continue to maintain a presence in the area and have increased patrols.

If anyone has any information regarding this case, they are asked to contact the Canton Police Department Criminal Investigation Division at 770-720-4883, call 911 or send us an e-mail at kyle.smith@cantonga.gov.

Several citizens have asked what is being done to prevent future occurrences?

Answer: In addition to our maintained presence, we have been working with citizens and churches in the area to continue to build strong partnerships to combat crime, installed two (2) surveillance cameras, changed the environment of Burge Park, arrested six (6) individuals in connection with the double homicide and continue to ask for citizen’s feedback on how to improve our service in our community. Our work with our citizens, continued presence and successful investigations is a very good start to deter, detect and stop this violent crime. We obviously cannot be everywhere in our great city all of the time to stop every incident, but we strongly believe by being transparent and working together we can greatly enhance the chances of violent crime not occurring in the future.