Cops: Man faces 6 felonies after Cobb crime spree, lighting house ablaze

A Marietta man faces more than a dozen charges, including six felonies, after a recent crime spree, authorities said.

Carl Steven Clark, 39, stole from two Walmarts while threatening to kill shoppers and cops, lit a house on fire and broke into another home to steal a woman’s purse, according to Cobb County arrest warrants. All of those incidents happened this year, with three of them taking place over a 15-day span in April, authorities said.

On Jan. 27, Clark is accused of stealing $115 worth of merchandise from the Walmart at 210 South Cobb Parkway after previously being kicked off the property by employees. He was charged with misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass and theft.

On April 1, he broke into a woman’s home off North Marietta Parkway about 6 a.m. and stole a handbag, according to his warrant. The homeowner was in the house and said she remembers seeing a person’s shadow, but thought it was her daughter.

Clark then went to Elizabeth Porter Park, rummaged through the purse, found $25 and abandoned the bag, the warrant said. He faces counts of burglary and prowling in connection with the incident.

However, things became more violent on April 15 and 16, according to police.

About 5:10 a.m. April 15, Clark is accused of breaking into a home off Roosevelt Circle and setting a bed sheet on fire. The fire then spread throughout the bedroom, causing “major structural damage” to the house, according to a warrant.

The house was vacant at the time, and police did not provide a motive for the break-in. Police did not tie Clark to the crime until the following day.

Clark then went to the Walmart at 2795 Chastain Meadows Parkway and tried to steal $70 worth of items, according to another warrant. During his escape, he’s accused of yelling, “I’m gonna come back to the store and shoot all you (expletives) up.”

During his getaway, he punched two Walmart loss prevention agents in the face, the warrant said.

He was quickly caught and arrested by Cobb police, but his next actions netted him three more charges, authorities said. He’s accused of spitting at an officer and kicking the interior door of a patrol car several times, causing the door’s frame to bend, a warrant said. He also allegedly shouted, “I’ll shoot y’all! I don’t give a damn about Cobb County,” when he was being booked into jail.

The second Walmart incident led to six charges, including two counts of terroristic threats, three counts of simple battery, one count of criminal interference with government property and a count of theft.

Once he was connected to the Roosevelt Circle fire, he was also charged with first-degree arson and burglary, jail records show. Authorities did not say how they tied him to the fire.