Dunwoody urgent care employee charged with stealing masks, gloves

A former urgent care employee is facing charges after police said he stole masks and gloves during the coronavirus pandemic.

Dunwoody police on Tuesday arrested Johnny Ray Murphy in connection with the case.

Murphy was an employee at the Piedmont Urgent Care Clinic on Mount Vernon Road, Dunwoody police spokesman Sgt. Robert Parsons confirmed to AJC.com. For reasons that aren’t clear, his employment with the urgent care center ended.

JUST IN: @DunwoodyPolice have arrested this former urgent care employee for stealing masks and gloves. Johnny Ray Murphy faces several counts of burglary. pic.twitter.com/HCmSx4eCQt
— Mike Petchenik (@Mike_Petchenik) April 8, 2020

Police said Murphy went back to the clinic March 28 and stole boxes of masks, gloves and face shields from nurses’ stations.

Murphy was charged with five counts of second-degree burglary. He was booked into the DeKalb County Jail, where he remains.

The alleged burglary comes amid anxiety over the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

» COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS

The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously said masks might be effective in protecting against the virus, of which there are more than 8,000 confirmed cases in Georgia.

» MORE: Home Depot limits coronavirus mask sales to 10 per person

After buyers began depleting supplies of masks in stores, several retailers including Home Depot started limiting how many customers could buy at one time.

ExploreThis story was first reported by Channel 2 Action News.

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The patients were residents at PruittHealth Grandview.

About the Author

Asia Simone Burns

Asia Simone Burns is a watchdog reporter for the AJC. Burns was formerly an intern in AJC’s newsroom and now writes about crime. She is a graduate of Samford University and has previously reported for NPR and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR member station.

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