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Channel: Savannah Morning News | Crime

Savannah suspect gets 18th trip to jail after shooting at building on St. Patrick’s Day

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Police say they’ve arrested a 28-year-old Savannah man known as “Yamacraw Slim” who was wanted on suspicions of several crimes, including shooting a building late St. Patrick’s Day.

Undercover officers and K-9 units following up on a tip found Jamal Davis in the 300 block of West 54th Street about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, said Darnisha Green, Savannah-Chatham police spokeswoman.

A search of his vehicle revealed a stolen handgun and drugs, Green said.

Police suspect Davis of firing shots near the 1200 block of West Broad Court March 17. Two women were in the line of fire but no one was injured. A building was hit.

Davis was taken to the Chatham County jail on several outstanding warrants. His charges include two counts of aggravated assault, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count of possession of marijuana (less than an ounce), one count of theft by receiving stolen property (firearm), one count of failure to comply/pay child support, one count of contempt of court, one count of failure to appear and one count of reckless conduct.

This is Davis’ 18th booking into the Chatham County jail since 2004, Green said. He was arrested in August and November of last year for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.


Police: Shots fired at man; Savannah College of Art and Design building hit

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Police say someone tried to shoot a man near downtown Wednesday morning and a bullet hit an occupied Savannah College of Art and Design building.

A 27-year-old man was walking through a Fred Wessels Homes courtyard by the 100 block of East Broad Street about 10:45 a.m. when a male suspect walked up to him with a gun.

As the victim passed by, the suspect started firing, said Sonny Cohrs, Savannah-Chatham police spokesman.

The victim got away safely, but a stray bullet struck Norris Hall at East Broughton and East Broad streets. No injuries were reported.

The investigation is ongoing.

Police ask anyone with information on the case to call CrimeStoppers at 912-234-2020.

9 arrested, pot, guns seized in Savannah drug bust

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Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department’s Undercover Narcotics Investigations Team took firearms, narcotics and nine people off the streets, during a March 30 warrant service, said police spokeswoman Darnisha Green.

Just after 6 p.m., Metro’s UNIT, SWAT and Patrol Division responded to a residence on the 5600 block of Emory Drive. Several people were located in and outside of the residence and Metro was able to seize four firearms and two pounds of marijuana after executing the search of the residence.

Aubrey Beasley, 29, Audrey Beasley, 59, Richard Hall, 64, Jockoo Hawkins, 23, Jeremy Hughes, 27, Jamel Lawton, 23, Shawn Lawton, 21,  Kyron Poacher, 32, and Cody Warren, 34 were all arrested and transported to the Chatham County Detention Center without incident.

The nine were charged as follows:

Aubrey Beasley: possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana (more than an ounce), possession of a firearm/knife in committing a crime 

Audrey Beasley: disorderly house, possession of marijuana w/ intent to distribute, possession of marijuana (more than an ounce), possession of a firearm/knife in committing a crime

Richard Hall: possession of marijuana (less than an ounce) 

Jockoo Hawkins: obstruction and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute

Jeremy Hughes: possession of marijuana (less than an ounce), obstruction        

Jamel Lawton: possession of marijuana w/ intent to distribute, possession of marijuana (more than an ounce), possession of a firearm/knife in committing a crime, obstruction by fleeing      

Shawn Lawton: obstruction, possession of marijuana w/ intent to distribute, possession of marijuana (more than an ounce), possession of a firearm/knife in committing a crime

Kyron Poacher: possession of marijuana (less than an ounce), tampering with evidence

Cody Warren: possession of marijuana (less than an ounce)

Savannah-Chatham police investigate body found on Garrard Ave.

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Violent Crimes detectives of Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department have initiated an investigation into the death of an unidentified adult female whose body was found Saturday morning behind a vacant house on the 5500 block of Garrard Avenue, according to spokesperson Eunicia Baker.

Metro officers responded to the scene just before 9 a.m. Preliminary investigation reveals no obvious signs of foul play. The Georgia Bureau of Investigations Crime Lab will schedule an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Metro’s Criminal Investigations Division, Patrol and  Forensics units responded to the scene. The Chatham County Coroner also responded.  

This investigation continues.

Anyone with information on this case should call CrimeStoppers at (912) 234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637) using the keyword CSTOP2020. Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.

A confidential tip line also is open directly to investigators at (912) 525-3124.

 

Savannah-Chatham police seek information on string of Forsyth Park robberies

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Savannah-Chatham police are investigating two armed robberies in two days in the Forsyth Park area, with suspects possibly linked to other recent incidents, Eunicia Baker, police spokeswoman, said.

On April 2 at about 9:30 p.m. a man and woman were sitting in a heavily wooded area of the park when three suspects approached, brandished a gun and demanded the victim’s possessions. The victims complied. The suspects ran southwest through the park with the victim’s belongings. No injuries were reported.

On April 1 at about 10:40 p.m., Metro responded to reports of two suspects attempting to rob two women walking near the park on Tattnall Street. The suspects reportedly asked what time it was, displayed a gun, then demanded the victim’s belongings. The victims refused. The suspects then fled toward MLK Boulevard. No injuries were reported. No property was taken.   

Suspects in both cases are described as black males, possibly in their teens, wearing dark colored clothing. One suspect may have short dreadlocks.

Robberies also were reported near Forsyth Park on the nights of March 26 and March 27. In those cases, suspects who closely matched descriptions given in the two recent incidents asked for the time before robbing victims at gunpoint. 

Anyone with information on these cases should call CrimeStoppers at (912) 234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637) using the keyword CSTOP2020. Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.

A confidential tip line also is open directly to investigators at (912) 525-3124.

Woman hospitalized after being struck by SUV on Savannah's east side

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Police say they're investigating a weekend wreck on Savannah's east side that left a 34-year-old woman hospitalized. 

Victoria Odette was walking east on Waters Avenue about 10:11 p.m. Saturday when she was struck by a northbound Ford Expedition driven by 36-year-old Williams Roberson, said Eunicia Baker, Savannah-Chatham police spokeswoman. 

Odette was taken to Memorial University Medical Center for treatment of injuries police described as serious. 

The police department's Major Accident Investigation Team is handling the case. 

UPDATE: Police ID suspect in West Savannah standoff

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A 23-year-old Savannah man is in custody after a four-hour standoff with police Tuesday afternoon near the intersection of Augusta Avenue and McIntyre Street.

Woodrow Williams was taken into custody and served with felony warrants for aggravated assault, aggravated battery and kidnapping, said Sonny Cohrs, Savannah-Chatham police spokesman.

Cohrs said the man barricaded himself inside his home near McIntyre Street and Augusta Avenue after officers tried to serve the warrants about 2:30 p.m. The standoff ended shortly after 6 p.m. after neighbors and family members helped talk the man into surrendering to police.

"We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome,” said Lt. Mike Wilson. “It took patience and teamwork, but ultimately we were able to take him into custody with no injuries and no shots fired. The neighborhood was instrumental in getting us in touch with his family, who in turn helped us resolve this peacefully.” 

UPDATE: Aggravated assault suspect surrenders himself to police

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Update: Asim Simmons turned himself in to the Chatham County jail about 3:30 p.m., said Darnisha Green, Savannah-Chatham police spokeswoman.

Police say he is charged with three counts of aggravated assault, one count of home invasion in the first degree, one count of criminal damage to property in the first degree and one count of cruelty to children in the third degree.

Earlier: Savannah-Chatham police are trying to find the man they say broke into a home on Savannah’s south side then cut two adults and a kid on Wednesday morning.

Asim Simmons, 41, is believed to have broken into a residence in the 400 block of Barnhill Drive about 5:30 a.m., said police spokeswoman Darnisha Green. Earlier in the night, he had reportedly made threats to people who lived there and had to be escorted away by police, Green said.

When Simmons came back early in the morning, two adults and juvenile were cut. Simmons fled, but one of the victims was able to make it to the 8900 block of Harmon Bluff Road and call 911, Green said.

The two adults — one of whom suffered serious injuries — were taken to Memorial University Medical Center. The juvenile was treated at the scene.

Simmons was last spotted near Whitaker and West Henry streets about 8 a.m. Police consider him to be armed and dangerous, and anyone who sees him should call 911 immediately.

Tipsters can also call the anonymous CrimeStoppers service at 912-234-2020.


Savannah-Chatham police investigate southside Savannah trailer thefts

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Savannah-Chatham police are investigating four trailer thefts this month, with two of the most recent occurring in broad daylight April 4 on Abercorn Street, Sonny Cohrs, police spokesman, said.

At approximately 2 p.m. on the 11,100 block of Abercorn an enclosed trailer containing various types landscaping equipment was stolen from a retail parking lot.

At approximately 3:30 p.m. April 4, an empty trailer was stolen from a bank parking lot in the 7800 block of Abercorn Street while the victim was inside the bank.

Both of these stolen trailers were hitched to vehicles and secured with a lock, but that isn’t always the case when it comes to stolen trailers. Many modern trailers are lightweight and can become an easy target for thieves. If a trailer is not properly secured, it can be unlatched in a matter of seconds, Cohrs said.

Police officials urge citizens not to leave trailers or other equipment unattended and to properly secure them when they are not in use. Locks on the hitch, trailer tongue, and even wheels may also help prevent trailer theft. Owners should also record their vehicle identification number (VIN) to provide to police in case it is stolen, Cohrs said.

Because these cases occurred during daylight hours at busy locations, anyone witnessing suspicious activity should call police immediately.

These investigations are ongoing. Anyone with additional information should call CrimeStoppers at (912) 234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637) using the keyword CSTOP2020. Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.

 

A confidential tip line also is open directly to investigators at (912) 525-3124.

Florida man with Florida tattoo charged with burglary

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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man with a tattoo of Florida on his face is facing burglary charges.

The Palm Beach Post reported Wednesday that 25-year-old Johnathan Hewett is jailed without bond. He has a map of Florida tattooed on his left forehead and temple.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said Hewett is seen on surveillance video prying open the door of a home last month. Officials say he took a gun and two watches.

The homeowner identified him as the friend of a former roommate. Detectives say the video clearly shows Hewett's tattoo spelling "red rum" on his neck. That's "murder" spelled backward.

He was released from prison last August after serving eight months for being a felon in possession of a gun.

VIDEO: Savannah-Chatham police seek liquor thief

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Savannah-Chatham police are seekingthe public’s help in identifying the suspect seen on surveillance footage breaking into a Downtown Savannah restaurant and stealing several dozen bottles of drinking alcohol.

The incident occurred just after 10 p.m. on March 19 at a restaurant on Whitaker Street near West Bay Lane, said Eunicia Baker, Savannah-Chatham police spokeswoman

Responding officers found bottles of liquor packed in boxes near an exit door, Baker said.

Investigators obtained surveillance footage that showed the suspect forcing his way into the restaurant, then stuffing multiple bottles of liquor into his jacket before exiting.

The suspect is described as a black male with a dark complexion in his late 20s to early 30s, standing about 5-foot-10 and weighing roughly 175 pounds. The suspect has a full beard. During the incident he wore a light colored hoodie, dark pants and dark colored sneakers.

Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 912-234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637) using the keyword CSTOP2020. Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.

A tip line also is open directly to investigators at 912-525-3124.

Few details available in shooting death of 14-year-old in Savannah, but some questioning access to guns

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Savannah-Chatham police on Friday declined to release more than basic information about the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old in Savannah’s South Garden neighborhood the night before. 

They provided his name: Jajuan McDowell. 

They said he grew up here and was visiting from the Atlanta area.

And they said he and a second teenager were “reportedly playing” with a gun about 4:30 p.m. in the 1300 block of East 69th Street when it went off and killed him. McDowell was rushed to Memorial University Medical Center — the regional trauma center just blocks from the home — but it was too late. 

The investigation is active, and no charges have been filed, said Sonny Cohrs, police spokesman.

Right now, it’s not clear who owned the gun, what it was doing in the home or how the kids got the weapon.

Terry Enoch, who runs the public school system’s police department, said he found the death of the 14-year-old so horrific he couldn’t really think of the right words to say.

“My heart goes out to the family,” he said. “... We’re losing too many of our kids.” 

Thursday wasn’t the first time in recent memory that gun violence — accidental or intentional — has ripped life from Savannah’s children. 

Barely two years ago, on April 4, 2014, a shot rang out in a West Savannah home. Montrez Burroughs, 11, was dead. Police said he and a 12-year-old friend had been “handling” a firearm in the Church Street house when the gun went off.

Eight months later, 15-year-old Jamari Batts was shot and killed outside his Madison Apartments home. Then, too, police said the wound that killed Batts was inflicted after he and another teenager were “handling” a gun. 

Police are keeping mum about the McDowell case, but the narrative so far doesn’t read like the street shootings that are so often reported in this city. 

Edward Chisolm, director of the Chatham-Savannah Youth Futures Authority, says the idea that anyone that young would even get a firearm is just baffling. 

“This whole issue of accessibility of guns to kids — it’s just unreal, and that has gotten progressively worse over the years,” Chisolm said. “I just don’t remember coming up as a 14-year-old with that kind of access to guns. It comes back to parents and adults in the community being more diligent and vigilant about making sure … to try our best to keep guns away from children.”

And sometimes, children are willing perpetrators of violence. 

Last May, 15-year-old Mikell Wright was shot and killed outside Sunrise Villas apartments during an armed robbery. Three other teenagers — 15-year-olds Tobias Daniels and Zykieam Redinburg and 13-year-old Antonio Griffin — were indicted on murder and related charges. 

And in February, 13-year-old Damiria Phillips was arrested and charged with shooting and robbing a pizza delivery driver on East Duffy Street. 

Chisolm said there’s a societal fascination with guns and that overexposure by various media has left young people desensitized to violence despite its real and crippling impact on the community. 

“You have this younger generation that’s not afraid of guns and not afraid to use guns, and then you have an older generation I would say that’s less than vigilant about keeping guns away from young people,” Chisolm said. “That’s just a recipe for disaster.” 

For events like Thursday’s or May’s to be prevented, he said, “We have to do better.” 

That’s what Enoch said, too, and he thinks it’ll take a “whole village” approach. As police chief of the school system, he sees the impact violence has on kids.

But he’s also seen a few more angles: Enoch’s been assistant chief of the police department, director of the recidivism-curbing Savannah Impact Program and jail administrator for the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office. 

Children are Savannah’s most valuable resource, Enoch said, and something must be done so McDowell doesn’t become “just another life lost.” 

“This should be a priority for every elected official, for every law enforcement officer, for every resident,” Enoch said. “We have to do more, and we have to do more together so we can reach them.”

Tybee Island police: Repeat offender stabs bartender with beer bottle

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Police say a 40-year-old man with a history of run-ins with local law enforcement is behind bars again this weekend after stabbing and seriously wounding a bartender at a Tybee Island pizza restaurant.

Billy Ray McCormick Jr. was arrested just before 3:30 a.m. Saturday and charged with aggravated assault and two misdemeanor offenses.

McCormick attacked a Huc-A-Poo’s Bites & Booze employee with a broken bottle in the parking lot as the bar was closing, said Tybee Island Police Chief Bob Bryson. The victim was taken to Memorial University Medical Center and rushed into surgery. Bryson said he is expected to recover and credits responding officers’ use of tourniquets with keeping him alive.

State Department of Corrections and court records show McCormick was released from Savannah’s Coastal Transitional Center in late 2009 after the remainder of a 10-year sentence for forgery and a four-year sentence for aggravated assault were commuted. He’d served just over one year of his sentence for aggravated assault.   

In March 2015, Savannah-Chatham police announced they were looking for McCormick on felony charges for allegedly hurting two women on Wilmington Island in separate incidents the previous summer. In one case, he was charged with aggravated battery and, in the other, sodomy and sexual battery. Court records show the sodomy charge was dismissed April 1 and that he was sentenced to 10 years of probation for the aggravated battery charge and two years of probation for the sexual battery charge.

Bryson said one of the two women from the July 2014 incidents was on Tybrisa Street near the beach Friday afternoon when McCormick saw her and allegedly made a comment to her that made her feel uncomfortable. She called 911, but McCormick was gone when police arrived.

The next time they encountered him was when they were called to Huc-A-Poo’s after the bartender suffered serious injuries.

The incidents Friday were unrelated, said Tybee Island Police Detective Sgt. Bertram Whitley, adding that McCormick and the bartender did not know each other.

Apparently McCormick tried to bail without paying his tab, and the bartender followed him into the parking lot. At that point, McCormick, who had two glass bottles in his hands, reportedly smashed one of them on the ground.

McCormick then attacked the bartender with the broken glass, wounding the back of his head as well as his leg, Whitley said.

McCormick ran away and police found him hiding in a bush. He did not surrender quietly, and police drew weapons before taking him into custody, Bryson said.

Details about the extent the arrest struggle were not immediately available.

The investigation is ongoing.

Bryson said he was surprised McMormick was even on probation, given the seriousness of the charges filed against him last year and his criminal history.

“(The bartender) wouldn’t be a victim today if McCormick was still in prison,” Bryson said.

Community talks second chances for ex-offenders

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It isn’t a matter of if prisoners come home — it’s when. And the community needs to be ready to help them. 

That was the message that Kevin Starnes, a Savannah man looking for a second chance, received loud and clear Saturday afternoon.

Starnes, currently incarcerated at Coastal Transitional Center, was one of several inmates who attended a conference at Armstrong State University’s University Hall this weekend designed to provide tips and general direction to those who are looking to re-enter the Savannah community.

The second annual “When Is The Debt Paid” conference fosters an ongoing dialogue about how to reduce recidivism — a relapse into criminal behavior.

And the conversation is definitely needed, according to Starnes, who’s had more than one run-in with the justice system for drug possession.

“There’s a lot of things that we’re not told and we don’t know about,” Starnes said.

About 700 of the 18,000 inmates released by the Georgia Department of Corrections in 2015 listed Chatham County as their place of residence, according to police. Georgia has the second highest incarceration rate in the country — just behind Alaska — and nearly 3.8 million people in Georgia have a criminal record.

This annual conference is focused on helping those individuals adjust to life in Savannah, said Maxine Bryant, a professor at Armstrong, who organized Saturday’s discussion.

“People who return from prison return and feel like their hands are still handcuffed,” she said. “There is a difference between re-entry and re-integration. Re-entry is leaving the Georgia Department of Corrections with $25 and a bus ticket back home. Re-integration is when the community gets behind an individual, wraps their arms around that individual, embraces them and supports them in becoming a part of the fabric of society.”

The conference was modeled after an event Bryant facilitated in Indianapolis, where she helped ex-prisoners re-enter that city’s society.

Inmates who attended Saturday heard stories and advice from others who have successfully returned to the community. A group of panelists shared their stories of how they turned their lives around by emphasizing such skills as learning the proper way to deal with conflict and seeking out social services. The panel also discussed how legal care and knowledge can help low-income people climb out of poverty.

Other websites and information on how convicts can adjust to life outside prison also stress skills such as how to search for jobs, refusing drugs and alcohol, finding adequate housing and how to take advantage of educational opportunities.

“The purpose of this panel is let people know recovery is real and recovery is possible,” said Frederic Green, panel moderator. “We are the face of recovery.”
Green, who has served five years in prison, is also the newest addition to the Savannah-Chatham police’s End Gun Violence: Step Forward team as the outreach coordinator. He serves as a liaison between the community members returning home and the social service providers able to help.

And those services are highly anticipated, Starnes said.

“I’m definitely going to take advantage of them while I’m here,” he said.

SCMPD INVESTIGATES ARMED ROBBERIES

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Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department Robbery detectives are investigating two armed robberies that occurred overnight.

The first armed robbery occurred at approximately 2 a.m., April 10, in the 500 block of East Bryan Street. 

The 66-year-old male victim was reportedly robbed gunpoint by two black males while he was walking east bound on E. Bryan. The darker-skinned male wore an un-kept, afro-style haircut. The lighter-skinned suspect had his face was covered with a blue bandana. 

Both suspects left the scene in a black over white, two-tone sedan. 

Also, robbery detectives are investigating an armed robbery that occurred at approximately midnight, April 10, in the 300 block of Barnard Street. 

The four victims, two 18 year olds and two 17 year olds, were sitting near the intersection of West Harris Street and Barnard when they were approached by two black males who asked them for a lighter before robbing them at gunpoint. 

The suspects are dark skinned, between 5-foot, 8 inches and 6-feet tall, and in their late teens or early 20s. They were last seen running westbound on Harris Street. 

These investigations are ongoing. Anyone with additional information should call CrimeStoppers at (912) 234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637) using the keyword CSTOP2020. Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.

A confidential tip line also is open directly to investigators at (912) 525-3124.






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