CLASSIC CITY NEWS

By Joe Johnson Speedy Gonzalez has been formally accused in a felony Athens theft case. The 42-year-old Buford man is a notorious “box stuffer” who targeted Walmart stores throughout northern Georgia to steal merchandise valued at tens of thousands of dollars Box-stuffing thieves remove merchandise from their packaging and then stuff the empty box with smaller, more expensive items. In the Athens case Gonzalez is accused of stealing from Walmart on Lexington Road, where he a

The following release from the Gwinnett County Police Department is about officers being fired and criminally charged for various reasons including Flock misuse Lawrenceville, Ga, Sept. 4, 2026) – The Gwinnett County Police Department has charged three officers and terminated their employment as part of an ongoing investigation into the misuse of the Flock license plate reader system. Renee Downer was arrested and charged in May with Simple Battery and Stalking. Derric Holmes

The following was released today by ACCPD: On September 3, 2026, at approximately 6:00 AM, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department responded to a multi-vehicle crash near the intersection of Highway 29 North and Talley Crossing. The initial investigation indicates Wayne Voyles, 80, of Hull, Georgia, was driving a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox northbound in a southbound lane of Hwy 29. Voyles struck a 2022 Toyota Tacoma traveling southbound on Hwy 29. The Tacoma was pushed into a

By Joe Johnson Tuckston United Methodist Church on Lexington Road was reportedly burglarized last weekend. It happened on the morning of August 26th while church staff was in a meeting and a congregation member saw someone in an office that should have been empty, Police determined that a window had been broken with a large rock and money was taken from two purses in the office. The window and office were not areas that the church kept under camera surveillance, according to

Issued by the Winder Police Department UPDATE: Ground and water search at Fort Yargo concludes; police continue search for Erica Gibson WINDER, Ga. — Sept. 3, 2026 — The Winder Police Department and other agencies are concluding the ground and water search at Fort Yargo State Park for 21-year-old Erica Gibson. During the investigation, officers received information indicating that Gibson left Fort Yargo on her own Wednesday evening. Based on that information, search operation

By Joe Johnson Darius Akeem Bell, 39, of Benning Street, was arrested late the night of August 26th for allegedly assaulting his teenage stepdaughter during a family violence incident at the home of the girl’s mother. The victim told police that Bell picked her up by the throat and held her against the wall before throwing her onto a bed. The allegation was corroborated by her younger brothers, and EMTs found injuries on the victim’s neck when examining the her in an ambulanc

The following was released by the Winder Police Department WINDER, Ga. — Sept. 3, 2026 — Multiple local and state agencies are searching the Fort Yargo State Park area for 21-year-old Erica Gibson after her cell phone was found at Fort Yargo Wednesday. The discovery of Gibson’s phone prompted authorities to begin trying to locate her. During the investigation, authorities learned information that raised concerns about her emotional well-being, prompting an extensive search of

The following was released today by the Gwinnett County Police Department (Suwanee, Ga., Sept. 3, 2026) – Gwinnett County Police officers have responded to four separate trespassing incidents at a private residence in the 3900 block of Westbrook Road in Suwanee. Investigators determined that several of those involved learned about the residence through social media videos portraying the property as an abandoned location to explore. The four incidents resulted in five adult ar

By Joe Johnson A 24-year-old Bogart woman was recently cited for several traffic violations after she didn’t make way for a police motorcycle on West Broad Street, The incident happened the afternoon of August 25th when the motorcycle with emergency lights activated ran up behind Engi Alabady’s car but the woman wouldn’t move out the way. “The SUV’s speed never decreased or showed any indications of yielding, even as I chirped my siren,” he reported. The officer followed the

By Joe Johnson Wilbert Sabastian Perez-Rodriguez, 24, of Kathwood Drive, was arrested early in the morning of August 23rd after shooting a gun during an altercation at his apartment complex. Once in police custody, a hold on his release was placed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings. Officers responded to Kathwood Townhomes at a 3:30 a.m. to investigate reports people were fighting and shooting. A suspected shooter, identified as Perez-Rodr

New Athens Music Walk of Fame plaques are in the ground, thanks to ACCGov Streets & Drainage staff ✨ check em' out next time you're in Downtown Athens. 2026 inductees (announced this summer during AthFest): 🎵 Mary Frances Early 🎵 Elite tha Showstoppa 🎵 Hugh Hodgson 🎵 The Jesters Band 🎵 Wuxtry Records

Cochran By Joe Johnson When Sgt. Robie Cochran made contact with the 75-old man on East Clayton Street it was readily apparent to the Athens police officer that the man had mental health concerns. The disheveled and confused man refused to go to the hospital for fear of being admitted to the psych ward, but the officer convinced him by promising a shower without having to be admitted. He then expressed concern about the dirty underwear he had on, but Cochran told him that he

By Joe Johnson A man who is charged with killing his girlfriend during a domestic violence incident at their home has pleaded not guilty to murder and other related charges. Sharod Pontes Greene, 52, was arrested in May after he fatally shot 34-year-old Latisha Andrews in their Arbor Ridge apartment. Greene had called 911 to report that he shot Andrews, and he was arrested when police found the victim dead from gunshot wounds to the head and chest. He was subsequently indic

Nick Barker By Joe Johnson The civilian employee who oversaw crime analysis for the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and also the agency’s Real Time Crime Center has been fired for misusing the county’s system of automated license plate readers. The termination of the civilian supervisor was announced today by ACCPD in the following release: On August 27, 2026, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department received a complaint from the ex-wife of an ACCPD employee alleging

By Joe Johnson A man who had been arrested following a domestic violence incident at his Marlin Street home earlier this year has been indicted for allegedly beating and raping his wife. According to the indictment filed in Superior Court, 35-year-old Gregory McKinley Mulligan was charged with rape, two counts of aggravated assault, false imprisonment, possession of a controlled substance, and battery under the state Family Violence Act. According to police, officers respond

By Joe Johnson When Sgt. Robie Cochran made contact with the 75-old man on East Clayton Street it was readily apparent to the Athens-Clarke County officer that the man had mental health concerns. When the disheveled and confused man refused to go to the hospital for fear of being admitted to the psych ward, the officer convinced him by promising a shower without having to be admitted. He then expressed concern about the dirty underwear he had on, but Cochran told him that he

By Joe Johnson A woman reported last week that soon after boarding an Athens Transit bus near her home on International Drive she noticed that a man seated behind was staring intently, making her uncomfortable. After several more glances the woman realized that the man was fully exposed and masturbating. She told her male companion what was happening and when he looked the man quickly concealed himself and told the bus driver to immediately let him off. The passengers told th

By Joe Johnson A suspect recently lost a police officer who was chasing him by driving through a residential neighborhood where the officer had to slow down for safety reasons. The incident happened at around 4 a.m. on August 21st when the officer saw a Honda Accord without a tag and its driver hid his face as he turned from Lexington Road onto Whit Davis Road. When the officer turned around to attempt a traffic stop the Honda sped away, returning to Lexington Road where he d

By Joe Johnson Timothy Elijah Barnes, 23, of Vintage Court, was arrested early in the morning of August 27th for burning his girlfriend’s belongings in their backyard during a domestic dispute. Among the items that he burned in a metal tub were the woman’s wigs, a Michael Kors bag, and her mother’s obituary. A camera belonging to the victim was missing from the home. Barnes was arrested for third-degree arson and theft by taking, and was released from jail the following day a

By Joe Johnson Two men were arrested in downtown Athens on the night of August 26th when found in possession of firearms and drugs. Police conducted a traffic stop on their car for having suspended registration and searched the vehicle because officers smelled marijuana. They reportedly found a bag of ecstasy pills, a couple ounces of marijuana, and two loaded mini Draco semiautomatic pistols. The driver and his passenger were subsequently arrested. Deontai Terrell Rouse, 23,