Please welcome our newest police officer, Mary Lewis to the department. She was sworn in on Tuesday, December 13, 2017, by Judge Thomas A. Roach at Canton City Hall.
Ofc. Lewis has previous law enforcement experience with the Cobb County Police Department. She will begin the required field training program to give her the tools necessary to be a very successful member of the organization.
Chief Mark J. Mitchell stated, “We are all excited to have Officer Lewis join the CPD and truly feel she will be an excellent fit for our professional agency and great community we serve.”
Left to right: Lt. Lmmus, Lt. Campbell, Deputy Chief S. Merrifield, Lt. Baldwin, Cpl. Ayers, Sgt. M. Turner, Sgt. T. Cromer, Cpl. J. Souto, Capt. J. Tucker, Chief Mark J. Mitchell
On December 13, 2017, Chief of Police Mark J. Mitchell was joined by city officials to congratulate four (4) officers who were promoted to supervisory positions at a ceremony, conducted at City Hall. Officers Jose Souto and Gregory Ayers were promoted to the rank of Corporal and Mary Turner and Tiffany Cromer were promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Family members and friends were also in attendance to share in this special occasion.
The Police Department’s next Coffee with a Cop community
event will be held on Wednesday, December 20, 2017, from 8:30 -9:30 am., at Dunkin
Donuts located at 121 Marietta Hwy, 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.
On Friday, December 1, 2017, just after 6:00 am., Officers responded to the Doss Printing Company located at 310 East Marietta Street in reference to a reported Burglary. In addition, just after 8:00 am., Officers responded to the report of a safe being located in the parking lot of 371 West Main Street. Arriving Officers were able to determine the safe came from the Elwell Dentist Office located at 24 Waleska Rd. Further investigation revealed a Burglary also occurred at the dental office during the early morning hours of December 1, 2017.
Investigating Officers discovered person(s) unknown made forcible entry at both crime locations by breaking out windows. Further evidence revealed the individual(s) responsible had apparently cut themselves because of the presence of blood at both crime scenes. Criminal Investigation Division (CID) Detectives responded to the business and were able to collect the evidence left at both scenes. At this time, it appears a laptop, a hard drive and currency was taken from Doss Printing and a checkbook along with a camera was stolen from the Dentist Office.
Detectives immediately began an intense investigation into both of these criminal incidents and have been able to generate a suspect in these cases through follow up interviews and additional collected evidence. In addition to the noted Burglaries, Detectives have been able to solve an Entering Auto incident involving this same individual with the potential clearance of additional Entering Auto incidents in the future.
Suspect / Charges
Sergio Villatoro age: 18 of Canton, Ga., has been arrested and charged with (2) counts of Burglary with additional charges for Entering Auto pending at this time.
This is an on-going and active investigation. Detectives urge anyone who has information in reference to this criminal activity to call 911 or the Canton Police Department at 770-720-4883.
Canton Police Detectives have taken warrants today for recently arrested suspects, Channon Hooks, Willie Frank Larry and Chelsey Queen. Detectives have been conducting an on-going investigation into recent Armed Robberies and Entering Auto cases that occurred within the city.
The investigations began on October 28, 2017, after a victim was robbed during the late evening hours while walking near Marietta Rd and Kennett St. The suspects took money from the victim and threatened him with a weapon. Two (2) other similar incidents occurred on November 13, 2017 and November 28, 2017, in the same area of Marietta Rd. Extra patrols and specialized operations were put in place that later helped identify the suspects.
The accused are currently being held at the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center on charges by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office for (2) counts of Armed Robbery.
All three (3) individuals, Channon Hooks age: 17 of Canton, Willie Frank Larry age: 17 of Canton, and Chelsey Jordan Queen age: 19 of Acworth are charged with the following:
Armed Robbery (2) counts with additional charges pending for a third Robbery incident.
Entering Auto (3) counts
Incidents occurred on November 24, 2017, off Scott Mill Rd., on November 25, 2017, near the 300 block of New Point Lane and on November 25, 2017, near the 300 block of New Point Lane.
As stated in the following and previous press release by the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office, it took a true spirit of teamwork, diligence and dedication by the Criminal Investigation Divisions of both agencies to identify and charge these individuals who were preying on citizens in our community.
This is an ongoing investigation and Detectives urge anyone with information in reference to these crimes to call 911 or the Police Department at 770-720-4883.
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)
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
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.”
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.
