A handful of employees at a packaging facility reported their cars were broken into and items were stolen.
According to a report from the Covington Police Department, an officer responded to Contract Packaging, 13100 Independence Drive, in reference to an entering auto call Tuesday night.
An employee told the officer that she took a break at her vehicle, but went back in to work around 10:10 p.m.
Another employee notified her that the lights were on in her vehicle around 10:45 p.m., she said. When she investigated, she found that all four of her vehicle’s doors were open.
The woman told the officer that several items were missing, including a black Nike jacket, a dark brown pair of boots and a pink leopard wallet that contained her debit and credit cards and cash.
According to the report, there was no damage to the vehicle, and the woman reported that her doors were locked and she had the keys.
In another case, two other employees told police that their vehicles were also broken into. The officer noted that there were no visible signs of entry to either vehicle.
Both victims said that their car doors were also locked. Though no items were stolen out of either vehicle. according to the report, "it appeared someone went through the cars looking for valuables."
On Wednesday, another employee at Contract Packaging filed a report of a theft in the break room.
A woman said she discovered her book-bag, which was left in the break room, missing after her shift.
According to the report, the employee said her book bag contained cash, her Social Security card, and her driver’s license.
Shortly after the items were reported as stolen, police were dispatched again to the business, where, according to the report, several items were found in the bushes beside Contract Packaging.
The items were believed to be those taken during the vehicle break-ins the night before.
The victims were notified of the items found., and the case was turned over to the CPD Criminal Investigations Unit.
$40K in tools stolen
Thieves reportedly stole more than $40,000 worth of landscaping equipment from a business Tuesday.
A report from the Newton County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy spoke to the owner of G&G Landscape Management, located on Horseshoe Springs Drive in Conyers, in reference to a theft.
The owner told the deputy that when employees arrived at work Wednesday morning, multiple items were discovered missing from the work barn.
According to the report, those items included a 2001 Ford Super Duty F350 truck, riding mowers, backpack blowers, weed eaters and other landscaping tools.
A BOLO (be on the lookout) was issued on the missing items, and an extra patrol was requested for the surrounding areas.
Shoplifting reported
An employee at the Southern Heartland Art Gallery reported that a woman stole art from the business Wednesday.
Just before 2 p.m., a Covington Police officer was dispatched to the art gallery on Monticello Street.
An employee told the officer that a white female — described as about 5-foot-5 and weighing about 135 pounds, wearing dark jeans, and a dark jacket, walked out the back door with about $60 worth of art.
According to the report, the employee said the shoplifting might have been captured on a video surveillance tape. She said she would have the video for police at a later date.
Mom, teen arrested
A mother and daughter were charged with shoplifting after allegedly trying to steal an air mattress from Walmart.
On Saturday Dec. 7, a deputy with the Newton County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about shoplifting at the Salem Road Walmart.
A loss prevention officer told the deputy that several females who were shopping together had an air mattress in their shopping cart and left the store without paying for it.
Deputy Felecia Jefferson identified the group of females as a mother, Tamika Gray, 34, and her three daughters.
Jefferson said Gray and her 15-year-old daughter, the oldest of the three siblings, were arrested.