Savannah-Chatham police Wednesday arrested a man for the Nov. 14 double shooting that killed a 25-year-old and left his brother in critical condition.
Christopher Alexander Johnson, 24, of a Garrard Avenue address, was arrested on a murder warrant by homicide detectives, said Julian Miller, police spokesman. Johnson was also charged with aggravated assault for the shooting that occurred at the home in the 700 block of West 49th Street where 25-year-old Maurice Antwan James and his 30-year-old brother Josh Detrimis James lived.
Police allege Johnson shot the younger James to death and also shot his brother, who was hospitalized but survived his injuries.
Johnson was released in June after serving six months in Hays State Prison for a 2009 cocaine possession charge, according to Georgia Department of Corrections records.
He had previously served two other prison terms for cocaine possession and distribution and obstructing a law enforcement officer, records show.
Miller said Savannah-Chatham homicide detectives are continuing to investigate the November shooting.
Police: Beware roving con man mechanic
Savannah-Chatham police Wednesday urged the public to be wary of people approaching them to offer to help fix problems with their vehicles.
Neighborhood watch members in Windsor Forest recently contacted police after they were approached by a man as they walked to their cars in parking lots in the area. The man offered to fix a problem with their cars, said Julian Miller, police spokesman.
The suspect, described as a white male about 5 feet 8 inches tall and 185 pounds in his 50s with short brown hair, typically targets women, Miller said. He’s been seen wearing a baseball cap, gray jacket and blue pants.
He points to a collection of fluid near a wheel and tells the women that their brake fluid is leaking, Miller said. He advises them he can repair it, which will help them avoid an accident.
The man asks his targets for $18 to purchase the part and says he’ll return to fix it.
In one case, he approached a woman in the parking lot of a drug store on Abercorn Street, Miller said. The woman had his work checked in a garage later, and was told there was no problem with the car and no work had been done to it.
Police are asking anyone approached in a similar manner to immediately contact them before agreeing to any repairs.
MAIT investigates Friday fatal crash site
A crash scene investigation at the site of a fatal crash on Lynes Parkway took place from 10:45-11:45 a.m. Wednesday.
Officers from the Major Accident Investigation Team of the Savannah-Chatham police department were continuing on Wednesday to look into the crash that killed a couple Friday afternoon.
The crash on Friday occurred on Lynes Parkway (Interstate 516) between Veterans Parkway and the Montgomery Street intersection, when a pickup crossed the center line and collided with an SUV carrying the couple and their small child.
Advisory issued for Polk Street Beach
Public health officials have issued an advisory for Tybee Island’s Polk Street Beach after water quality tests indicated a high level of gastrointestinal-illness-causing bacteria.
The advisory does not close the beach and is only in effect for that specific beach, located on Tybee’s north end at the mouth of the Savannah River stretching from the end of the beach to the jetty, said Sally Silbermann, Chatham County Health Department spokeswoman.
Routine water tests taken Tuesday found a high level of enterococci bacteria that can increase the risk of gastrointestinal illness in swimmers.
Silbermann said the health department suggests people do not swim or wade in the water in the area. Additionally, seafood caught in the area should be thoroughly washed with fresh water and cooked thoroughly before being eaten.
Officials will retest the water today, Silbermann said. The advisory will be lifted once testing shows bacteria levels are consistent with the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended standards.
Railroad crossing on Dean Forest to close for rail maintenance
Railroad crews will temporarily close a portion of the southbound, outside lane on Dean Forest Road for maintenance work on a railroad crossing today.
The lane will close between Old Dean Forest Road and U.S. 80 from about 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Motorists are advised to reduce speed and expect delays as they travel through this work zone.
Woman indicted on threats charges
A Savannah woman on Wednesday was indicted on terroristic threats charges stemming from a Jan. 11 incident at the Social Security office that prompted evacuation of the building.
Latoya Jones, 35, threatened to commit murder to terrorize a Social Security employee at the 430 Mall Blvd. building, the Chatham County grand jury determined.
That same conduct was committed to cause evacuation of the office and was done “in reckless disregard of the risk of causing the evacuation of the building,” the indictment determined on evidence presented by Assistant District Attorney Reginald Martin.
Homeless man indicted in theft from nonprofit
A former driver for Old Savannah City Mission on Wednesday was indicted on seven counts of financial card fraud for improperly using an agency gas card to obtain cash at EnMark gas stations.
Michael Deshawn Hill, a 39-year-old homeless man, used the cards on seven different occasions between Aug. 30 and Sept. 6 without permission, the Chatham County grand jury determined.
Evidence presented by Assistant District Attorney Emily Thomas Puhala showed the thefts involved trading the card for cash totaling more than $200, DA spokesman Daniel Baxter said.
William Stiles, executive director of the nonprofit, said Hill was a graduate of the mission’s Urban Training Institute and had been hired as a driver for the agency.
He said the sum taken would have been several thousand dollars. Hill was terminated following discovery of the thefts, Stiles said.
Compiled by Corey Dickstein, Marcus E. Howard and Jan Skutch