In a twist that sounds like something out of a bizarre thriller, a Valdosta, Georgia, woman took “hammer time” to a whole new level when she used the tool to rob a Waffle House.
Things unfolded on the evening of August 24th, 2024. That is when the Valdosta Police Department was called to the Waffle House on Bemiss Road after employees reported that a woman had walked in, not with a fork for her waffle, but wielding a hammer.
The woman, identified as 65-year-old Coneatha Denise Brinson, demanded money while threatening workers with the weapon. When that didn’t go according to plan, she put the hammer to work on the restaurant’s property. Fortunately for the employees, they were not hurt. It didn’t take long for law enforcement to catch up to Brinson, who was captured on the restaurant’s surveillance system.
As the investigation kicked off, authorities quickly learned this wasn’t her first rodeo. It turns out that Brinson had already hammered her way through two other Valdosta businesses the previous month, demanding cash and smashing up the place when she didn’t get it. First, there was a Citgo station, then an RJ Food Mart—all falling victim to her tool-of-choice crime spree.
After her Waffle House stunt, Valdosta’s police spotted her getaway vehicle. With evidence in hand, detectives connected all three incidents to Brinson, who was arrested and is now facing multiple felony charges, including two counts of felony armed robbery, felony criminal damage to property, and felony criminal attempt to commit an armed robbery.
It’s unclear if Brinson is still behind bars.
