🌱 City's No Knock, No Warrant Incident + La Feria de Abril Festival

Hello, friends! Jessica Griffin here with your fresh copy of the Roswell Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about what's happening in town, including updates on...

• An undercover child exploitation operation nabs five people in Roswell's sister city.
• A unique Earth Day activity is offered for students.
• Get your tickets for the Spring Home & Garden Tour.

Today's newsletter is sponsored by Rock 'N' Taco

A night of Great Music for an even better cause!

Why do we love Rock ‘N’ Taco so much? For one thing – it’s fun! With live entertainment on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and our favorite — Southern Rock Sundays, Rock ‘N’ Taco has established itself as the no. 1 spot for live music in Roswell 5 days a week.

Rock ‘N’ Taco’s first benefit concert series supporting ALS and John Driskell Hopkins of Zach Brown Band sold out and was a night for the books with a stage full of music’s top artists.

They’re now excited to announce who’s next — Wednesday, April 26th The Purple Madness Band: Prince Tribute Band is live at Rock 'N' Taco as their 2nd Concert for a Cause headliner benefiting END HUMAN TRAFFICKING NOW.

Come rock out with Purple Madness for a great cause as we raise awareness and funds to combat Human Trafficking. This event WILL SELL OUT. Get your tickets HERE before they are gone!

Rock ‘N’ Taco is located at 928 Canton Street and is open from 11am to 11pm on weeknights and from 11am to 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. Check out the Rock ‘N’ Taco event calendar to see who’s playing.

Come down to Rock' N' Taco for great food, amazing cocktails, and Roswell’s best live music!

Now, today's weather:

Sunny, pleasant and warmer. High: 77 Low: 49.

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Here are the top three stories in Roswell today:

1. The Roswell Police Department has been reported of conducting a "no knock, no warrant" at the wrong apartment in June of 2022. The department was looking for squatters in vacant units by using a "rent roll" that noted apartments that were supposed to be empty and fully-paid on rent. The apartment in question had a window that was broken and concealed with plywood. This made the department believe that the unit was occupied by squatters. However the unit was legally occupied by Mario Melgar and his roommate. Melgar was sleeping when officers the the Special Investigations Section of the Roswell PD entered his home armed and demanded he follow the sound of their voice and come out. Officers were hesitant upon entering the apartment, as they saw a TV and items to suggest the home was occupied. The resident was immediately handcuffed once he came outside. The rent roll was located in a detective’s vehicle while Melgar was being detained. After confirming that apartment wasn’t on the list of vacancies, the resident was released and received a verbal apology from the officers present. (atlantanewsfirst.com)
2. The La Feria de Abril festival is a spectacle of Spanish culture that pays tribute to the cuisine, wine, music and arts of Seville, Spain. This six-hour jubilee is hosted by A Traves, a nonprofit for flamenco arts, and Madrid Spanish Taverna. La Feria de Abril means April fair and is traditionally a weeklong event that occurs every year to celebrate spring. Isaac Tovar, a flamenco dancer, and guitarist/singer Marija Temo will perform. There will also be dance classes and cooking demonstrations. The La Feria de Abril festival will take place on April 22 and is a ticketed event. (newsbreak.com)
3. This news didn't take place in Roswell, but is very close to home. The arrests of five individuals were made by the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety Special Investigations Unit during an undercover child exploitation operation. They also issued warrants for two suspects who are still outstanding. The charges issued includes felony use of a computer to entice a child to commit an illegal act and felony criminal attempt to commit child molestation. The operation was a collaboration between the City of Alpharetta, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, and the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office. Detectives are still currently looking for the two remaining suspects who are at large and are asking for the public's help in identifying their whereabouts. (appenmedia.com)

Today in Roswell:

• Ongoing Conversation: Assembly Point Exhibition - Roswell Visual Arts Center (10:00 AM)
• Noonday Nosh Book Club -Roswell Library (12:00 PM)
• Roswell Development Authority Meeting - City Hall (3:30 PM)
• Roswell HS VB Lacrosse vs Cambridge HS - Roswell (6:00 PM)
• Neighborhood Meeting - Council Chambers, City Hall (6:00 PM)
• Transportation Advisory Commission (TAC) Meeting - City Hall (6:00 PM)
• Brian Gallagher Live on the Piano - The Gaslight (6:00 PM)
• Build A Board 101 & Wine Tasting - Oli+Ve - Roswell (6:30 PM)
• Self-Care Strategies w/ Dr. Wade Port - The Well of Roswell (7:00 PM)
• Planning Commission Regular Meeting - City Hall (7:00 PM)
• Team Trivia - Houck's Grille (7:00 PM)
• Tuesday Trivia - Big Oak Tavern (7:30 PM)
• Music Bingo & Taco - Rock N' Taco Roswell (7:30 PM)
• Kings of Karaoke w/ Bryan - Chaplin's Bar and Grill (9:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Roswell Soccer Club: Coach Jacenir Silva is a former coach of the Santos. The Roswell Soccer Club shared that Silva recently accepted the head coach position at Al-Jahra SC. This is a professional soccer team in Kuwait. Wow, congrats Coach Jacenir! He's even showing off his Santos shirt. (Roswell Soccer Club via Facebook)
• Roswell Historical Society: It's time for spring cleaning and the Roswell Historical Society has already started by holding clean-up morning at the Old Roswell Cemetery this past Saturday morning. A multitude of volunteers, the National Charity League Gardenia Chapter, and fellow neighbors tidied-up monuments in the cemetery. In all they clean forty-eight monuments. A clean-up at the Pleasant Hill Historical Cemetery was also conducted by the Groveway Community Group, Inc. (Roswell Historical Society via Facebook)
• City of Roswell, Georgia Government: Have you heard of Roswell's Earth Balloon? On April 18, students throughout the city can experience this 20 ft. tall "ballooned classroom at Eat Roswell Park. They will learn about water, pollution, geography, and much more. You can also visit the Earth Balloon at Hemree Park on April 21. (City of Roswell, Georgia Government via Twitter)
• Bike Roswell: Roswell Moves! is almost here. This open streets biking event will take place on April 30 on Canton St. Come join Bike Roswell to help them kick off National Bike Month. (Bike Roswell via Instagram)
• City of Roswell, Georgia Government: The City of Roswell is still observing National Volunteer Month by acknowledging how important volunteering is and the value of the time and gifts that are given by those who volunteer. The City of Roswell's website has a list organizations that are members of the city's Nonprofit Partnership Program for those interested in volunteering. (City of Roswell, Georgia Government via Facebook)
• Community Support Manager Emily Luce, Fulton County Animal Services: Fulton County Animal Services has posted a roster of the pets that they have found on April 15. They are asking for residents who have lost pets to review their records those who they have recently taken in.(Nextdoor)
• Fellowship Athletics: Fellowship Christian School's Varsity Baseball team has won the Region Championship for the third consecutive time. The ballplayers defeated Athens Academy with a score of 13-3, Go Paladins! (Fellowship Athletics via Twitter)
• Visit Roswell, Georgia: Tickets are still available for the RWC's Spring Home & Garden Tour. This grand affair will take place this Saturday, April 22. There is more information regarding this tour in Visit Roswell's bio on Instagram. (Visit Roswell, Georgia via Instagram)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Atlanta Academy — (Visit website)
• Add your business here

Featured events:

• Non-Profit Marketing Workshop - The Business of Saving Lives (April 21)
• Alpharetta Garden Club Annual Plant Sale 4/22 and 4/23 (April 22)
• Casa Nuova Community Block Party (April 30)
• Clinton Nature Preserve Exploration Challenge Group Hike (May 13)
• Add your event

Featured gigs & services:

• Masonry repairs (Details)
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You're all caught up for today. I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with another update!

— Jessica Griffin

About me: My name is Jessica Griffin and I am a native of Roswell, Georgia. I have been in the Roswell-Alpharetta community for over 30 years. As a native "Roswellian", I embody, participate, and support all things local. Community is at the core of all of us, and I aim to convey the collectiveness and unity that should be promoted and celebrated throughout our community. Being a mother, a writer, a student of history, and the arts are my passions.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Roswell Patch newsletter? Contact me at Roswell@Patch.com