Around the Region: Shoplifter Stabs Walmart Employee, Three Shot at Apartment Complex and Verizon Employee Charged With Multi-Million Dollar Fraud

– Cartersville Patch

A loss prevention officer was stabbed in the stomach with what employees say appeared to be a multi-tool during a Dec. 10 incident in Cartersville.

According to the report, the victim, a 43-year-old male employee, attempted in front of the store to apprehend suspected shoplifter Katrena Elaine Evans, 32, who is homeless.

She suddenly turned around and allegedly stabbed him in the abdomen, then fleeing on foot. Deputies say she jumped into a silver car traveling in the parking lot, and the occupants reported they did not know Evans.

Off-duty Acworth police officers stopped the vehicle and arrested Evans near . Authorities say they found in the back seat of the car the tool with an opened knife and merchandise for which Evans had not paid.

The injured employee was treated at and released.

– East Atlanta Patch

Atlanta police are investigating a Dec. 10 shooting that occurred at an apartment complex at 514 Parkway, which left two women injured and one man dead.

The man and two women were on the side of an apartment building when a man approached them and fired seven to eight shots, said Police Major Keith Meadows. One woman was shot in the leg. The other was shot in the stomach. The man was shot in his chest, and later died from his injuries later at Atlanta Medical Center, Meadows said.

The investigation is ongoing.

– Alpharetta Patch

A Ball Ground man who worked for Verizon Wireless in Alpharetta has been indicted on 30 counts of fraud under an indictment that accuses him of a scheme to steal millions of dollars in high-value network communications equipment. He's accused of using the money from sales of the equipment to buy personal luxury items such as jewelry, cars, international travel and cosmetic surgeries for his girlfriend.

Michael W. Baxter, 62, of Ball Ground, was arraigned on the federal charges Dec. 9 before United States Magistrate Judge E. Clayton Scofield III. He was released on a $50,000 unsecured bond.

Beginning at least as early as December 2006 and continuing until he was terminated by Verizon Wireless in May 2010, Baxter allegedly submitted hundreds of fraudulent service requests that caused Cisco Systems to ship millions of dollars in parts to him at Verizon. No parts needed to be replaced. The indictment says that instead of placing the replacement parts into service in Verizon Wireless’ network, Baxter took them home and sold them to third-party re-sellers for his own profit.