🌱 Manager Sentenced For Embezzling $300K + Shooting At Perimeter Mall

Hello all. I'm back in your inbox this morning with your new edition of the Atlanta Daily. Follow along to find out the most important things happening in town these days. Keep reading to find out all the things you need to know about what's happening locally, including updates on:

• A restaurant manager was sentenced for spending $300,000 at strip clubs in 2020.
• Dunwoody Police responded to a shooting at a mall last night.
• Atlanta police investigated a higher percentage of homicides in 2022 than in 2021.

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Here are the top five stories in and around Atlanta today:

1. A Roswell restaurant manager was sentenced to two and a half years in prison after embezzling over $300,000 with his company credit card at Atlanta strip clubs. He spent hundreds of thousands in under a year, using the card 50 times at the clubs. According to the Northern District of Georgia's U.S. Attorney's Office, he worked at Houck's Grille on Crabapple Road in Roswell in 2020, and the incident threatened the jobs of more than 40 employees. (11alive.com)
2. Dunwoody police responded to a shooting at Perimeter Mall last night. One injury was reported, but officials described the incident as isolated. This is an ongoing investigation. (11alive.com)
3. According to Atlanta Police Department data, Atlanta police investigated 7 percent more homicides in 2022 than the year before. Data showed more murders happened in the northwest and southwest Atlanta and downtown than in 2021; however, homicides decreased in Buckhead neighborhoods and east and southwest Atlanta. (Fox 5 Atlanta)
4. The Clayton County Police Department is searching for a motorcyclist after he eluded Georgia State Patrol officers on a chase and posted his exploits to TikTok and YouTube. The video showed the biker weaving in and out of traffic, driving on the shoulders of the road, and in between vehicles. Police have issued 12 warrants against the driver, who has not yet been identified. (WSB-TV Atlanta)
5. The beloved University of Georgia mascot, bulldog Uga X, will not be traveling to the west coast for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Spokespeople announced yesterday there were plenty of options for the mascot to get to Los Angeles; however, the time and distance for travel would make it difficult for the bulldog. (WSB-TV Atlanta)

Today in Atlanta:

• Adventure Cubs At Zoo Atlanta (9:30 AM)
• Best Of Atlanta Comedy Showcase At Laughing Skull Lounge (8:00 PM)
• RENT At 7 Stages (8:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Did you know the average Georgia resident’s average monthly electric bill in 2022 increased by over 15 percent from the previous year? Learn more about where the Peach State stands on power consumption and costs compared to the rest of the country in this new Ownerly data study. (Ownerly)
• Are you looking for a new family member with four paws? Check out the list of adoption-ready pets in the Atlanta area at the link! (Atlanta Humane Society)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. See you all Monday for another update!

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.