30 Jailed in 'Big' House Party; Drunk-Driving Couple Charged in Crazy Crime

A few police reports chronicling strange happenings in Cartersville and Bartow County in the last day or so caught our eyes at Cartersville Patch. Here are the stories:

'Big' Party in Rydal Sends More Than 30 People to Jail

A "big" house party Saturday night in Rydal attracted the attention of multiple neighbors, who complained, and sent some 30 people, mostly local and area teens, to jail on criminal trespass charges.

Authorities were called to the Indian Springs Drive home in Rydal shortly before midnight and found about 20 cars parked outside, a lot of alcoholic drinks lying around the home and a large amount of suspected marijuana in the refrigerator, according to the Bartow County Sheriff's Office incident report, attached.

The property owners told police by phone that no one had permission to be in the home, which police say had been burlgarized.

Two juveniles were released to their parents, while at least 33 others, who range in age from 17 to 26, were jailed on criminal trespass charges. See today's crime blotter for mug shots and all the details.

'The Sign Flipper' Arrested in Connection with Rydal House Party

About 4:30 the next morning, deputies made another arrest in connection with Rydal party in Indian Springs subdivision.

More than a month after his appearance on 'Ellen', 'The Sign Flipper' Julian Lee Falkenstein, 23, of Pine Grove Road in Cartersville, was jailed on a prowling charge police say is related to the party.

Although he said he was staying with a resident of the neighborhood, deputies, who spotted Falkenstien walking in the Indian Springs subdivision, say he could not say where his friend's house was. Other partygoers said Falkenstein was at there, too, according to authorties.

He was arrested and charged with prowling some five hours after police were called to the house party.

Boyfriend Arrested on DUI Charge Trying to Bail Out Allegedly Drunk-Driving Girlfriend

Cartersville police Saturday night arrested two people, who were in the same car, on DUI charges. After the passenger decided to drive his car, that is.

An officer first arrested Erica Nadine McKnight, 23, of Calhoun, on a DUI charge following a traffic stop about 1:30 a.m. near Center Road, according to the Cartersville Police Department report, attached. Her blood-alcohol level registered .072 and .074, below the legal limit, but police say she failed to maintain her lane of travel and exhibited signs of intoxication during field sobriety tests.

About 3:30 a.m., "I was in the process of getting my previous DUI bonded out when I observed that her boyfriend, who was previously a passenger in the
vehicle and intoxicated more so than she, had driven to the police department to bond her out," wrote the officer who arrested McKnight. "I briefly spoke with driver/arrestee Mr. Chad Felton Pittman in the lobby of the PD at which time I asked him if he had gotten a ride to the PD.

"He stated that he had in fact gotten a ride and that they were waiting for him in the parking lot. I advised Mr. Pittman that I hope he was being truthful as I could still smell the alcohol on his person and I believed him still to be too intoxicated to drive."

The officer reports watching 32-year-old Pittman via video surveillance drive off alone in his Ford Mustang, which was missing a tag light. Police later caught up with Pittman for a traffic stop at the Booth museum.

Pittman of Carriage Hills Drive in Cartersville told the officer that "after I had arrested his girlfriend, he had gotten in his car, driven to the bail bondsman, Waffle House, and then to the PD," the officer wrote in the report. "Mr. Pittman repeatedly stated that he was fine and that he could drive."

Pittman's blood-alcohol level registered .092, above the legal limit, and police say he failed field-sobriety tests. He, too, was arrested and charged with DUI.

Both McKnight and Pittman were released to bondsmen.

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