It didn't take long for Gwinnett County Police to get a good idea of what caused a three-car parking lot accident at Del Rio on April 25. Before police arrived at Del Rio, one caller had already advised dispatch that the "gentleman" involved in the accident appeared to be impaired. According to witnesses, the "gentleman" -- later identified as Donald King, 53, of Lawrenceville -- backed out of a parking spot and hit a truck owned by a Dacula man. King then reportedly pulled forward and struck a Loganville woman's parked car. Once the investigating officer arrived at the scene, a woman …

A Loganville couple decided to send a warning text message to the person who acquired the wife's phone during an April 21 visit to Little Mulberry Park in Dacula. "The phone has been reported a stolen to GCPD, it has a tracking device on it and the police were tracking it," the text message stated according to the Gwinnett County Police report. The woman explained the phone was in her bag while she was at the park and apparently fell out at some point. When she realized it was missing, she borrowed a phone from another park visitor and called her number. The call went straight to voicemail. …

An attempt to avoid arrest ended badly for a Fairburn, Ga. man during an April 18 traffic stop on I-85 near Hamilton Mill Road. While patrolling I-85 northbound, a Gwinnett County Police officer spotted a black Ford Explorer closely following another vehicle. After the Explorer crossed over the right fog line, the officer initiated a traffic stop just north of Hamilton Mill Road. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer immediately noticed the odor of raw marijuana. The officer asked the driver, Frank Mathis, 30, of Riverdale, Ga., to step out of the vehicle. "I noticed that he appeared …

A thief or thieves used a stolen debit card to have some fun at a local bowling alley on April 14. A Dacula woman told police she left Stars and Strikes at 8:45 p.m. on April 14. Approximately 10 minutes later, she realized she did not have her purse with her and returned to the bowling alley. When she asked a Stars and Strikes employee if anyone had turned in the purse, the employee advised the purse had been found in the women's bathroom with the contents spilled on the floor. See police or fire activity? Find out how you can share breaking news alerts, photos and videos on Buford Patch. …

A Dacula woman is $1,650 poorer after falling victim to two thieves. The Tanner Road resident said she was getting ready for bed on April 8 when a young male, approximately 18-22 years of age, knocked on her door. The woman thought the man knew her 81-year-old husband because he "mentioned something about the roof." The woman let the man into the house and led him to the living room where her husband was. A few moments later, the woman heard another knock at the door. When she opened the door, a young female, who said she was friends with the male, asked if she could use the restroom. The …

A South Carolina woman passing through Gwinnett County took an unexpected detour to the county jail after police discovered the vehicle she was driving had been reported stolen. While patrolling I-85 northbound on March 22, a Gwinnett County Police officer ran the tag of a 2010 Ford Fusion. The tag return indicated the vehicle had been stolen. Officers conducted a felony traffic stop at the Hamilton Mill exit ramp from I-85 and placed the driver, identified as Evelyn Brinkman, 44, of Walhalla, S.C., in handcuffs.  After reading Brinkman the Miranda Warning, the officer asked if she would be …

Instead of opting for the traditional hammer or brick, a burglar decided to go a more unconventional route and use his vehicle to smash the front glass doors of a Dacula convenience store. At 3:01 a.m. on March 23, Gwinnett County Police were dispatched to the Fast Trip convenience store on Winder Highway in response to a burglar alarm. Upon arrival, the officer discovered the smashed glass doors, but no one was on the premises. A representative of the business arrived a short time later and played the surveillance footage. Security cameras showed a red passenger car pull into the parking lot…

Fire crews were out at least two Dacula locations on March 28 investigating reports of a gas odor. Firefighters found a small gas leak near the intersection of Auburn Road and Bailey Road Saturday afternoon, according to scanner traffic. Buford Gas Company was called to the scene and fire crews returned to service at approximately 4:45 p.m. According to fire radio traffic, the leak posed no danger to the public. Fire crews were also dispatched to the area of Braselton Highway near Hamilton Mill Parkway just before 4 p.m. A strong odor of gas was present in the area. One through lane and two …

A Dacula man is facing several charges in connection with two accidents that occurred on March 11 near the intersection of Braselton Highway and Hamilton Creek Parkway. Just after 5 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the Wells Fargo bank parking lot to meet with the victim of a hit and run. According to the woman, the driver of a silver Honda Civic, later identified as Efrain Hernandez, 49, of Dacula, rear-ended her vehicle as she slowed for a traffic light. The woman said she got out of her car to inspect the damage and Hernandez began yelling, "No! No! There's no damage to your truck." You …

Years after the property was first cleared in preparation for an upscale retail development known as The Shire at Mulberry Creek, Gwinnett County has issued a development permit (CDP2013-00006) for discount grocer ALDI. The store will be located in the 3600 block of Braselton Highway in the Hamilton Mill area of Dacula. Do you think ALDI is a good fit for the area? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments. The store, according to company spokesperson Stacy Wiley, is expected to open in October of 2013 and will employee 10-12 people. "We pride ourselves on quality food at a lower price." …

A 68-year-old Oconee County woman was told to leave Ryan's restaurant on Dowdy Road at lunchtime on Tuesday after the manager said she became irate over the price of the buffet. When the 43-year-old manager from Buford spoke with the woman, who he said was with a church group, he said she told him she "wanted to talk to a white manager and one that spoke English clearly," according to an Oconee County Sheriff's deputy's report. "[The manager] then stated [the woman] began to call him a Muslim and told him if he wanted to live in her country, he needed to speak clear English,"  the deputy …

A Cedartown woman was reportedly left teary-eyed and "visibly shaken" after a March 8 road rage incident on Highway 316. According to the Gwinnett County Police report, the woman was traveling westbound on Highway 316 near Winder Highway in Dacula when she changed lanes and "accidentally cut off" another vehicle. "[The victim] advised the male drove up to the right side of her vehicle, stuck his hand out the window holding a 'silver' hand gun and 'shook' the gun in a 'up & down' motion [sic]," the officer wrote in the report. Read the full story on Dacula Patch. You might also be interested …

A Dacula teen who said he was upset after being told he was going to hell, vented his frustration against the establishment that allegedly issued the dire warning. A Gwinnett County Police officer was patrolling the area near Hebron Christian Academy just after midnight on March 8 when he noticed a blue Ford Mustang in the parking lot of the school. The officer then saw a male walk up to the double glass doors of the building. As the officer pulled into the parking lot, the male who the officer had seen near the double glass doors began running back towards the Mustang. Before the male could …

Verne Fowler is excited and for good reason. Next month, he expects to break ground on a facility he describes as the “Disneyland of gun ranges.” “We’re state of the art in everything that we have,” Fowler said. “It’s probably going to be one of the cleanest, nicest facilities you’ll ever see or ever be in.” The Georgia Gun Club, which will be located near the intersection of Braselton Highway and Old Peachtree Road, will be far more than just a shooting range. The facility will feature an 8,000-square-foot retail store, a classroom, member’s lounge, gunsmith shop, simulator room and 28 …

An employee of the Fish House Seafood Kitchen in Dacula, Ga. was apparently determined not to go quietly. Gwinnett County Police were called to the Old Fountain Road restaurant on March 9 after an employee, Tad V. Tran, 27, of Johns Creek, Ga., reportedly used profanity in front of customers and dumped a bucket of water in the floor in the front part of the restaurant. You might also be interested in reading: Woman Reportedly Slaps Man at Bar, Calls 12Stone a ‘Cult’ Man Looking for ‘Lost’ Vehicle Claims Gas Station Is His Home ‘Loud, Boisterous’ Man Loses Poker Hand, Verbally Abuses Dealer …

A Braselton Highway medical office burglary was discovered on Feb. 24 after the owners of an adjacent business noticed an open door and a hole in the back wall of the doctor's office. The owners notified the doctor who then contacted Gwinnett County Police. Officers cleared the building and then asked the doctor to check for any missing property. The doctor advised that nothing had been taken and no drugs were kept on the premises. The doctor informed the officer he had received a call from his alarm company the previous day, Saturday, Feb. 23, after the burglar alarm was activated. Police …

Board members with the Dacula-based Mountain View Athletic Association are currently investigating an alleged fraud that may have resulted in a significant financial loss to the organization. On March 1, the Mountain View Athletic Association issued the following statement in an email to members: The Mountain View Athletic Association has recently discovered that it may have been a victim of a significant fraud from a member of the Executive Board.  We are currently in a thorough process to investigate how this alleged fraud occurred, what appears to have been misappropriated, and to …

A Stockbridge couple landed in jail after underestimating how seriously a rental car agency took the return date in the rental contract. On Feb. 23, Gwinnett County Police stopped a 2012 Nissan Sentra driven by Dayvon Green, 31, of Stockbridge, near the intersection of Highway 316 and Harbins Road after a check of the tag indicated the vehicle had been stolen. Green and his passenger, Valerie Green, 34, also of Stockbridge, were immediately taken into custody. The vehicle, which is owned by Avis, had been rented to Valerie Green and had not been returned on time. When questioned about the …

A Dacula woman is dead as a result of what police believe was a domestic dispute. Police were called to the 2600 block of Kachina Trail in the Apalachee Heritage subdivision in Dacula on Friday, March 1, at 10:07 a.m. According to Gwinnett County Police Department public information officer Cpl. Jake Smith, the suspect in the case -- the husband of the deceased woman -- was the person who called 911.  "It's a domestic-related homicide," Smith said.  The wife, who Smith estimated was in her late fifties, appears to have died from a gunshot wound. Visit Dacula Patch for additional details as …

Two Dacula brothers called police after five males allegedly came into their home and stole their property. The brothers, ages 17 and 13, told police a male acquaintance arrived at their Wilkes Crest Drive home on Feb. 17 accompanied by four other males. The brothers allowed only the male they knew to enter the home, but according to the teen's account, the other males entered the residence without their permission. The five males stayed at the house for approximately an hour before leaving. The brothers said one of the males left with three of their video games. The five males also allegedly…