North Fulton County

Police say dispute over parking spot led man to hit another with his car -- twice

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alpharetta police say a dispute over a parking spot led to one man hitting another with his car, not once, but twice.

Channel 2's Mike Petchenik obtained 911 calls from Sept. 2nd at the Avalon Shopping Center on Old Milton Parkway after the incident.

“He hit me. He hit me with his car,” victim Ray Lombardi told police.  “I actually made a dent in his car and then he walked away.”

When officers got to the parking deck, they say Lombardi described how 59-year-old Earnie Olin drove at him.

“The victim was in the parking space holding the spot,” said Officer Howard Miller.  “The suspect in the cases was driving a vehicle and was described as an elderly male, pulled into the parking spot and struck our victim, not once, but twice.”

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Lombardi’s wife described how Olin nonchalantly walked off.

“If he had talked or been a civil human being, we wouldn’t be pressing charges, but just the way the whole thing went down is unacceptable,” she can be heard telling the officer.

Police impounded Olin’s car, and when he came back to the spot about an hour later, police took him into custody.

“This guy jumped on my hood and dented it,” Olin can be heard telling officers in body camera footage.  “I need to file a criminal mischief.”

Olin’s wife told the officer she saw it unfold.

“He gets in front of us and he tells us ‘Move, this is for my friend,’” she said. '“I’m saving it for my friend,' and my husband said, 'You can’t save parking places.”'

She told police Lombardi stood in front of the car and egged Olin on.

“My husband pulls in a little bit and the guy just dares him like that and he goes bang, and then goes he hit, everybody see that?  Call 911,” she said.

But the officer said he reviewed surveillance of the incident from Avalon cameras, and footage didn’t show that scenario play out.

“There’s video of it and the video doesn’t lie,” he said.  “I looked at it.”

Olin faces aggravated assault and hit and run charges.  He’s due in court Sept. 17th.