By Joe Johnson
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has
announced the murder indictments of Athens street gang members in connection with the shooting death of a toddler three months ago.
Julian Cubillos, Jayden Brown, Dakious Echols, and Desmontrez Mathis have been charged by a Clarke County grand jury with murder, aggravated assault, and violations of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act in connection with the death of Kyron Zarco-Smith on March 8 at the Hallmark Estates trailer park off Spring Valley Road.
The defendants indicted are members of the Everybody Eats gang, or EBE.
Investigators allege that the gangsters traveled to Hallmark to target a rival gang member in a drive-by shooting in order to maintain and increase their status within the EBE gang.
“The death of three-year-old Kyron Santino Zarco Smith is a tragedy that should have never occurred, and we’re committed to ensuring those responsible are held fully accountable for their actions,” said Carr during a press conference Wednesday morning at the state capitol in Atlanta.
“The violence that’s taken place in Athens-Clarke County is unacceptable, and the entire community deserves better,”said Carr, who was flanked by officials from the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.
Since its creation in July 2022, Carr’s Gang Prosecution Unit has partnered with ACCPD to indict 21 gangsters in nine separate cases.
The majority of these cases are believed to involve an ongoing conflict between EBE and the Red Tape Gang. Included in this total are five shootings that have taken place in Athens between April 2022 and March 2024 – four of which involved fatalities.
“Our hearts still grieve with the family of Kyron Zarco whose tragic loss shook the Athens community,” Athens-Clarke County Police Chief Jerry Saulters said at the press conference.
“I am proud of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department’s men and women who acted quickly to identify and locate those responsible. Our commitment to stopping gun and gang violence in the Athens community remains unwavering as we partner with the Attorney General’s Office to bring justice for Kyron and his family.”
Created in 2020, EBE is a hybrid criminal street gang based in Athens-Clarke County. Its primary alliance is with Everybody Killa (aka “EBK”) and it is affiliated with major national Bloods, such as Sex Money Murder and Pirus.
Why is this being prosecuted by the AG instead of our DA? Is that because the DA refused to prosecute?