CLASSIC CITY NEWS

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

Released by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation: UPDATE - July 28, 2026: Levi Long was pronounced deceased at the hospital on Sunday, July 26, 2026. Long’s body will be taken to the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office, where an autopsy will be conducted. UPDATE - July 20, 2026: The man shot in this incident has been identified as Levi Long, age 22, of Commerce, GA. He is currently in critical condition. ORIGINAL RELEASE: Commerce, Banks County, GA (July 17, 2026) - At the request o

By Joe Johnson Jockeyvise Zimare Banks, 19, of Hickman Drive, has been charged with allegedly intimidating a witness in an Athens murder case. According to his arrest warrant. Banks intimidated a witness in the case of 22-year-old Antonio Jewell, who fell to his death last year at The View at NoDa apartment complex. He reportedly fell from an upper floor balcony while fleeing from members of the Sex, Murder, Money street gang who had pistol whipped and robbed him and another

The following was released today by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department On July 27, 2026, at approximately 4:23 p.m., Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) officers responded to the 400 block of North Avenue regarding a disturbance involving a subject brandishing a bladed weapon. During the incident, at least one ACCPD officer fired his weapon, striking the subject. The subject was transported to Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center, where he was being trea

By Joe Johnson An Athens-Clarke County grand jury has declined to indict a man for murder in connection with a homeless camp death earlier this year. Joshua Robert White had been arrested in April and charged with murder for the death of 42-year-old Rodney Alford, whose body was found in the camp near Danielsville and Hull roads. At the time of the arrest White had already been in custody on an unrelated gun charge. The grand jury did charge him with possession of a firearm

By Joe Johnson A man who shot his girlfriend to death earlier this year has been indicted for her murder. Sharod Pontes Greene, 52, of Chateau Terrace, was charged with malice and felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm in the commission of a crime, according to the indictment filed in Superior Court last month. He was arrested on May 10th after he called 911 to say that he had just shot his girlfriend. When officers arrived at Greene’s home at Arbor

By Joe Johnson A suspect in a Florida murder was arrested last weekend after his car was stopped in Athens for motor vehicle law violations. Officer Samuel Calderon stopped the car Sunday afternoon on Northcrest Drive for an illegal windshield tint and because the passenger wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. When checking the identities of the occupants the officer learned that the passenger was wanted for murder in Florida. Christian Tyler Edwards, 19, of West Palm Beach, had warra

By Joe Johnson An Athens man has been indicted for murder in connection with a triple shooting in which a teenage boy was killed and two other victims were wounded. Jakel Javaunte Arnold, 23, of Mandy Drive, was charged with malice and felony murder, and four counts each of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, according to the indictment filed in Superior Court last month. The shooting happened on May 8th outside the Pilgrims Pride po

By Joe Johnson A suspect in a Colorado murder has been taken into custody here in Athens. Gohjan Sierra Delgado, 25, with an address at 190 North Bluff Road, was booked into the local jail on the morning of June 27th on a warrant that had been issued by the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office. He is being held without bail pending extradition proceedings.

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that a shooting Wednesday night resulted in the death of two people. “Last evening the Walton County Sheriff’s Office responded to persons shot at 4538 Gauntt Road. Resident Ralph Edward Mincey was immediately taken into custody. Victim Jennifer Lynn Mincey was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and later succumbed to her injuries,” WCSO public information officer Maj. Scott Whisnant reported. “Amanda Mincey McBrayer was deceased

By Joe Johnson Recently filed court documents describe the cold-blooded behavior of a man accused of murdering two people in downtown Athens three months ago. According to a homicide detective’s sworn affidavit, early in the morning of March 14th Mark Anthony Desousa walked up to Dylan Bentley in a parking lot lot off North Jackson Street and shot him in the back of his head. The bullet passed through the victim and struck Christopher Skinner in the eye. DeSousa then shot a

By Joe Johnson A Superior Court judge this week denied a request for bail by a man who killed two people and injured a third in downtown Athens Following a hearing on Wednesday, Judge H. Patrick Haggard denied bail to 22-year old Mark Anthony DeSousa on grounds that he was a flight risk and posed a significant danger to the community. In custody since March, DeSousa is facing murder charges for fatally shooting Dylan Bentley and Clayton Adams in a parking lot off North Jackso

By Joe Johnson A member of an Athens gang has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in a 2024 drive-by shooting that killed a child at the Hallmark Estates mobile home park. Julian Omar Cubillos, a member of the Everybody Eats street gang last week pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter for his involvement in the shooting that took the life of 3-year-old Kyron Zarco Smith. Cubillos had been in a car with three other EBE gangsters when they opened fire on a riv

By Joe Johnson An Athens-Clarke County grand jury this week returned a 10-count indictment against a man accused of murdering two people and injuring a third during a shooting in downtown Athens last March. Mark Anthony Desousa, 22, of Jefferson, was charged with two counts each of malice and felony murder, and three counts each of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm in the commission of a crime, according to the indictment filed in Superior Court on Tuesday. DeSou

By Joe Johnson The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has identified the man killed this month during a confrontation with police in Athens as 33-year-old Joe Baythavong.of Hoschton. The incident happened on May 12 in the 1000 block of Hull Road when Athens police officers responded to reports of a man shooting a gun. Upon arrival they encountered Baythavong brandishing the weapon and ordered him to put it down, according to the GBI. “(Baythavong) then pointed the gun to his he

By Joe Johnson An attorney representing a man accused of murdering two people in downtown Athens has filed a motion that seeks to have his client released from jail on bail. Mark Anthony DeSousa is facing murder charges for fatally shooting Dylan Bentley and Clayton Adams last March in a parking lot off North Jackson Street. A third victim, Landon Skinner, survived being shot in the face. According to court filings, Bentley was killed execution style when Desousa walked up fr

Cassidy By Joe Johnson A 24-year-old Madison County man was charged with murder this week after he fatally shot his roommate at their home in Comer. According to a sheriff’s office incident report, on the morning of May 18th Jacob Richard Allen Cassidy shot 46-year-.old Billy Jack Swafford during an argument in their home on Osley Mill Road. The victim reportedly had been shot multiple times by Cassidy, who then fled from the scene. When located, Cassidy claimed that he had

By Joe Johnson On the afternoon of May 10th Sharod Pontes Greene called 911 to say that he had just shot his girlfriend. When officers arrived at the man’s home at Arbor Ridge apartments they found 34-year-old Latisha Andrews dead from gunshot wounds to her chest and head, according to a police report released today. Police have not released a motive for the shooting, but jail records indicate that the 52-year-.old killer was charged under the Georgia Family Violence Act with

By Joe Johnson In the early morning of May 8th, Deandre and Jamarcus Grisson west to pick up their sister from her job at Pilgrim’s Pride. When they got there Jamaya Grisson climbed into the car to join her brothers and Makai Tucker, her boyfriend who went along for the ride. Jakel Arnold then arrived in a car with his cousin and upon getting out he tried talking to Jamaya, but she refused to speak with him. When he persisted the brothers intervened and an argument broke out

By Joe Johnson A woman was fatally shot Sunday afternoon in what police said was the second murder in Athens within two days. Latisha Andrews, 34, was killed during a domestic violence incident at the Arbor Ridge apartment complex on Chateau Terrace and 52-year-.old Sharod Pontes Greene of the same address was charged with her murder. Greene Two days earlier, 17-year-old Deandre Grisson was killed and his sister was wounded in a double shooting on Rowe Road. Jakel Arnold, 22,