Author: Staff Reports

A convicted child molester residing in Douglas is listing his residential address as a room at the local Days Inn motel, according to information provided by the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday. Michael Antwon Spearman was convicted of child molestation in Forsyth County in 2004. He has been registered as a sex offender in Coffee County since 2014 and had a previously-listed address on Brunswick Ave. in Nicholls. Under Georgia law, all sex offenders are required to register with the local sheriff’s office annually and must provide any personal change of information such as place of employment, address, phone numbers,…

A 31-year-old Douglas woman already incarcerated in the Coffee County Jail has been charged in connection with the theft of $3,500 cash from a local store after authorities caught her on camera committing the act prior to her incarceration. Coffee County Sheriff’s officials stated on July 22, a deputy responded to Bethel Grocery on the Willacoochee Hwy. in reference to a theft. The victim advised the deputy that someone had taken a box containing approximately $3500 in cash from the ATM machine located inside the store. A report was made, and the case was turned over to the office’s criminal…

A woman currently serving on probation was arrested last night on numerous drug charges after sheriff’s authorities responded to the report of a fight. Deputies responded to a residence on Clyde Kirkland Rd., where they made contact with 44-year-old Verdie Lynn Gaskins of Douglas, who they determined was currently serving a probation sentence. Authorities stated a search of Gaskins yielded a quantity of methamphetamine, syringes filled with methamphetamine, two different strengths of Lorcet and Xanax prescription tablets, bags commonly used for packaging illegal drugs, and scales. Detectives also seized over $1,300 in cash. Gaskins was arrested at the…

Christians from throughout Coffee County crossed denominational and racial lines Monday night to join together in a candlelight vigil to offer prayers for the local community and nation. Hundreds of citizens gathered at the Coffee County Courthouse in what became one of the largest public declarations of unity in the area in recent history. “We’ve reached the point where we’re tired of taking a back seat,” local citizen and father of three Robert Moore told reporters from WALB-TV. “We want to be out front because this is where Christians are suppose to be.” The following pictures of last night’s event…

Officials with the Douglas – Coffee Drug Unit (DCDU) stated Monday night a former pharmacist with Harvey’s grocery store was arrested as part of a joint investigation. Dana Amber Daughtry, 46 of Claxton, has been charged for fraudulently obtaining controlled substances. Last week, agents with Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency (GDNA) discovered Daughtry had forged prescriptions for controlled substances and filled them for herself at Harvey’s Pharmacy in Douglas, authorities said. Officials stated Daughtry has been terminated from employment with the pharmacy and turned herself in to law enforcement today.

A quarter pound of marijuana and over six dozen narcotic pain pills were discovered over the weekend in the possession of one motorist while authorities were conducting a road check. Officials stated that on Saturday, the Georgia State Patrol encountered an individual identified as 23-year-old Mark Andrew Spivey, II of Douglas during a road check on the west side of Coffee County. As troopers approached the vehicle, they allegedly detected an overwhelming odor of marijuana coming from within the vehicle. A search of the vehicle, they stated, revealed two packages of marijuana, with a total weight of ¼ pound,…

Two victims shot to death Sunday night at a horse training facility in Willacoochee have been identified by authorities as Rudolpho Figueroa-Garcia of Douglas and Rafael Alleman of Willacoochee. In a strange twist of events, officials stated they believe Alleman first shot and killed Rudolpho Figueroa-Garcia during an argument. Alleman was then shot by another man, 26-year-old Mauricio Figueroa-Garcia, and subsequently died. Mauricio Figueroa-Garcia is currently incarcerated at the Atkinson County Jail and has been charged with murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Authorities state he is also a wanted fugitive from…

Atkinson County authorities and the GBI are investigating the deaths of two people shot to death Sunday night at a horse track in Willacoochee. The names of the and victims have not been released, but officials did confirm the incident occurred around 9 p.m. at the track, which is located off Gussie Wall Rd. One suspect, whose name has also not been released, has been arrested and is incarcerated at the Atkinson County Jail. The shooting, authorities state, resulted due an argument between the suspect and victims. Douglas Now will continue to update this story as information is provided by…

The Coffee County Sheriff’s Office is hoping the public can help them catch the person or persons responsible for a series of vandalisms that occurred some time Friday night or early Saturday morning on the county’s western side. Deputies were notified that numerous road signs and mailboxes were run over or torn down along Hwy. 149 and Hwy. 268 in in the Ambrose area. Authorities stated it appears the signs and mailboxes were run over by a vehicle. The sheriff’s office is asking anyone who may have information regarding these incidents to contact the non-emergency 911 number at (912) 384-7675.…

Robert Preston Jr., 42, a life-long resident of Douglas and Coffee County, has announced that he will run for sheriff of Coffee County in 2016. On July 27, in a one-sentence post on his Facebook page, Preston made the following statement: “I am going to run for sheriff in 2016 on the Republican ballot.” On Thursday, Aug. 6, Preston confirmed that he is in fact running for sheriff when he addressed the Coffee County Republican Party during its regular monthly meeting. With the exception of a couple of years when he attended college at the University of Georgia and Valdosta…