Police bust trio after air conditioning thefts
A routine traffic stop in Acworth led to the arrest of three people in connection with the theft of half a dozen air conditioners.
Police found six units in a maroon van they stopped Thursday, said Officer Jeffrey Rose of the Acworth Police Department. He said Monday that a woman and two men were charged with burglary, theft and production of marijuana.
That third charge came after a search of their home. Besides stolen metal and tools that appeared connected to the thefts, police found marijuana plants, Rose said.
The arrested men were Andrew Robert Massey, 25, and Fredrick Daniel Johnson, 29. The woman was Tia Denise Fuller, 25. All three were booked into the Acworth Jail.
It's unclear where the accused were planning to sell the stolen units, Rose said. "The typical place would be metal recycling centers," he said. "There's pretty much one in every city. There're just so many places they can go to get rid of this stuff."
Thieves typically strip the units for copper and other valuable metals. But they can also sell them whole to unscrupulous dealers who will then resell them.
Police are asking anyone with information about air conditioning theft in or around Acworth to call investigators at 770-974-1232. They also said residents should keep an eye out for the unmarked vans and trucks necessary to steal a bulky air conditioner.
Thieves are having a field day in underpopulated neighborhoods, Rose said. "There're so many foreclosures out there, so many vacant houses that nobody's paying attention to. That's where we're seeing the biggest increases."
About the Author
Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.
