2 Cherokee officials turn themselves in over false police report warrants

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Two of three people accused of filing a false police report claiming the Cherokee County school superintendent tried to hit them with his car turned themselves in to Canton police Saturday.

Kelly Marlow, a Cherokee County School Board member, and Robert Trim, a political adviser, turned themselves in at 8 a.m Saturday after Canton police issued warrants for their arrest Friday. Marlow and Trim are charged with felony false statements, according to Canton police spokesman Pacer Cordry.

Barbara Knowles, the Cherokee County Republican Party secretary, also has a warrant out for her arrest, but she has yet to turn herself in. She is being charged with a misdemeanor false report of a crime and felony false statements, Cordry said.

Knowles filed a police report with Canton police June 13 saying that Cherokee school Superintendent Frank Petruzielo had tried to strike her, Marlow and Trim while they were crossing the street in front of the Painted Pig Tavern in Canton.

Petruzielo said in a statement to the Cherokee Tribune that “this is a very serious allegation that has no basis in fact.”

Knowles told police that she and Marlow and Trim had just left a heated school board meeting, Cordry said, and admitted that the group was crossing the street illegally and was not in a crosswalk.

The following day, the report was turned over to the criminal investigations division, according to police.

“After a thorough investigation, Canton detectives were able to determine that Knowles had made a false police report and Knowles, Marlow, and Trim had all provided false statements to detectives,” Cordry said.

Attempts to reach Knowles, Marlow and Trim for comment Saturday were unsuccessful.

The AJC contributed to this report.

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