CLASSIC CITY NEWS

The following were released by the Athena-Clarke County Police Department and Georgia Bureau of Investigation: On May 12, 2026, at approximately 12:43 AM, Athens-Clarke County Police Officers responded to the 1000 block of Hull Road regarding a call about a disturbance involving a male with a gun. Initial call information indicated that more than one gunshot had been fired prior to the officers' arrival. At the scene, officers encountered a male subject who brandished a firea

From the Gwinnett County Police Department: (Lawrenceville, Ga., May 11, 2026) – The Gwinnett County Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance in locating a missing 47-year-old from Snellville. Victor Bai was last seen by his family on March 31. He is five foot two inches tall and weighs 135 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information on Victor’s whereabouts is urged to contact GCPD detectives at 770.513.5300.

By Joe Johnson Kevin Adonay Castro, a ranking member of the 18th Street gang in Athens, has been sentenced to 10 straight years in prison after he pleaded guilty to trafficking methamphetamine. The plea was made in Superior Court last month as part of a negotiated agreement with the District Attorney’s Office. In return for pleading guilty to the trafficking charge and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, the DA’s office dismissed felony po

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,

Released by Athens community leader Fred Smith Sr. Athens S&DC Host Stamp Dedication to Celebrate the Works of Quilter Harriet Powers What: The U.S. Postal Service will host a stamp dedication ceremony for quiltmaker Harriet Powers (1837–1910) with four new stamps. Powers was a formerly enslaved woman born Oct. 29, 1837, on a plantation near Athens, GA. Her stitched works are celebrated as masterpieces of American folk art and storytelling. The ceremony for the stamps is free

Released by the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office: Yesterday, Barrow County Sheriff’s Office along with Statham Police Department and other personnel from multiple agencies worked together to locate and apprehend rape suspect Brandon Wells. Assisting agencies included Georgia State Patrol Aviation, the BCSO Drone Task Force, and K9 teams from the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office, Auburn Police Department, Lawrenceville Police Department, and Walton County Sheriff’s Office. Through

By Joe Johnson An Athens teenager died and his sister is hospitalized following a double shooting early Friday morning. The gunman was quickly identified by police and arrested. Athens-Clarke County police responded to reports of gunfire in the area of Rowe Road at approximately 5:49 am. Almost simultaneously, the hospital reported that two victims had arrived with gunshot wounds. Deandre Grisson, 17, died, and 18-year-old Jamya Grisson was treated for non- life threatening i

Released by the Gwinnett County Police Department: (Snellville, Ga., May. 8, 2026) – Gwinnett County Police SVU detectives have arrested four people in an unlicensed personal care home investigation. On April 30, SVU detectives with assistance from the Behavioral Health Unit, Uniform Division, Crime Scene Unit, Gwinnett County Fire Department, Department of Community Health, Adult Protective Services, and other state agencies executed two search warrants at 4022 and 4032 Pond

By Joe Johnson An Athens-Clarke County police officer recently went to the rescue of a child who was having an emergency.. On the evening of April 28th Officer Kalina Thurmond responded to Rolling Ridge Apartment on a report of an unresponsive 4-year-old boy. The child was still unresponsive when the officer arrived at the scene, and she noticed that he had a pulse and was struggling to breathe. Thurmond reported that after seeing that his airway was unobstructed she patted t

Released by the Gwinnett County Police Department: (Lawrenceville, Ga., May 7, 2026) – Gwinnett County Police detectives make an arrest after thousands of dollars in Pokemon cards were stolen during a burglary. While investigating the burglary detectives had identified a possible suspect in the case, Oscar Reyes Montero Stewart (33, Acworth). Stewart had attempted to sell the stolen Pokemon cards to another store. During that transaction Stewart was arrested on an outstan

Released today by the Gwinnett County Police Department (Lawrenceville, Ga., May 7, 2026) – Gwinnett County Police detectives make an arrest after thousands of dollars in Pokemon cards were stolen during a burglary. While investigating the burglary detectives had identified a possible suspect in the case, Oscar Reyes Montero Stewart (33, Acworth). Stewart had attempted to sell the stolen Pokemon cards to another store. During that transaction Stewart was arrested on an out

By Joe Johnson David was arrested last month after he stole hundreds of dollars worth of an herbal supplement on two different occasions from an tlanta Highway convenience store. Police charged the 55-year-old Athens man with theft by shoplifting for one of the incidents and robbery for the other because he physically pushed past the clerk to get to the supplement that was kept behind the counter. David was desperate to obtain the supplement that contains 7-hydroxymitragynine

Elder (r) and Smith The following was released today by the Georgia Attorney General’s Office Defendants sentenced to life in prison ATHENS, GA – Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that Shamon Elder, Jr. and Jaquavious Smith have been convicted for the murder of 19-year-old Brynarius Smith, who was shot and killed on April 16, 2022, while sitting on his front porch at Nellie B. Homes in Athens. Both men were found guilty by an Athens-Clarke County Jury on May

By Joe Johnson A Superior Court jury in Athens has convicted a pair of street gang members for the murder of a rival in the Nellie B community four years ago. Brynarius Smith, 19, was shot to death by a trio of gunmen in April 2022 while sitting in front of his home on Cone Drive. Police identified three suspects, two of whom were arrested in April 2024: Ja ‘Quavious Smith and Shamon Elder, both affiliated with the Red Tape Gang. The victim had belonged to a rival gang. They

The best movies often use a simple plot as a transcendent metaphor for a greater truth. Field of Dreams is one of those movies. When Terrence Man (James Earl Jones) talks about baseball and America, we learn that the field of dreams (America) is “all that was once good and it could be again.” He describes the American dynamic as a blackboard that has been erased, rebuilt, and erased again. Such a perspective guides us toward retrospection, introspection, and evaluation. Let

By Joe Johnson Karla Attaway Allison, 44, of Boulevard, was arrested on the afternoon of April 26th when she was found to have drugs by police investigating a shoplifting complaint, Officers were responding to Half-Moon Outfitters on Prince Avenue on a report that Allison had stolen merchandise from the store. When the officers detained Allison on the sidewalk outside the store, they searched a her bag and found she had and a pair of sandals valued at $55, along with some met

By Joe Johnson A man who was arrested last year for the alleged murder of his girlfriend has been indicted on the lesser charge of manslaughter. Kendall Elon Boone, 29, was charged with voluntary manslaughter, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon,making a false statement, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, according to the indictment filed in Superior Court on Monday. The grand jury did not indict him for malice murder, felony murder, or ag

By Joe Johnson David Anlauf was arrested last month after he stole hundreds of dollars worth of hydroxymitragynine tablets on two different occasions from a Texaco convenience store on Atlanta Highway. Police charged the 55-year-old Athens man with theft by shoplifting for one of the incidents and robbery for the other because he physically pushed past the clerk to get to the health supplement that was kept behind the counter The man was apparently desperate to obtain the sup

Released today by the Gwinnett County Police Department: Lawrenceville, Ga., May 4, 2026) – Gwinnett County officer arrested following a domestic dispute. On May 1, 2026, Gwinnett County Police responded to a domestic dispute and identified one of the involved parties as Gwinnett County Police Officer Renee Downer. Officers determined Downer and the victim were formerly in a relationship, had recently separated, and were still living together as the victim prepared to move ou

By Joe Johnson A house fire last month in southeastetn Athens-Clarke County was accidentally sparked by an apartment electrical issue. A resident who perished in the April 24th fire at 121 Sapphire Court was identified as 68-year-old Francine Vancuron. “The fire began in the living room, and it’s suspected that it was electrical in nature,” ACCFD Fire Marshal Kevin Kearney said. The fire department had no information about dogs that reportedly lived with the victim.