Author: Staff Reports

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…

An incident that began as a domestic disturbance early Thursday morning led law enforcement officers to the discovery of a large amount of narcotics and the subsequent arrests of two individuals. Authorities reported at around 4 a.m., Douglas police officers encountered two people at the Flash Foods store on the north end of Douglas while investigating a domestic call at a residence on Wall St. During the encounter, officers discovered five packages of methamphetamine, a small quantity of the sythetic street drug ‘Molly,’ and other drug-related paraphernalia. As a result of the incident, James Lamar Smith, age 30 of Douglas,…

The Coffee County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday provided the following information regarding recently-updated profiles of registered sex offenders residing in the area: Name: Carlton DaltonDescription: WM/ 505 186 lbs/ Gray hair Blue eyes/ DOB 7-5-1951Charge: Child MolestationConviction Date/Location: 10-2-2000/ Berrien County, Ga.Current Address: 1010 South Madison Ave, Douglas, Ga. Name: James PeaseDescription: WM/ 506 210 lbs/ Brown hair Brown eyes/ DOB 5-21-1967Charge: Lewd or Lascivious Acts with Victim under 16 Years of AgeConviction Date/Location: 5-11-2008/ Jefferson County, FloridaCurrent Address: 998 Hillcrest Road, Douglas, Ga. Name: Kyle CoursonDescription: WM/ 507 158 lbs/ Blonde hair Green eyes/ DOB 7-19-1981Charge: Child MolestationConviction Date/Location:…

A 39-year-old Douglas man was killed Wednesday morning after being crushed to death while performing welding work at the East Coast Asphalt plant in Waycross. Police said Javier Avalos was working on an asphalt silo around 8:30 a.m. when his safety equipment failed. Avalos was pronounced dead at the scene, and Waycross police state the investigation into his death is ongoing.

A traffic stop conducted by Douglas – Coffee Drug Unit (DCDU) officers resulted in the arrest of two men Tuesday afternoon, along with the discovery of an undisclosed amount of methamphetamine. Officials stated DCDU K-9 officers stopped a vehicle on Bowens Mill Rd. at Thompson Dr. The driver, Steven Neal Norton of Whigham, was arrested for driving with a suspended license, seatbelt violation, defective equipment, and possession of methamphetamine. A passenger in the vehicle, Brandon Lee Osborne of Decatur County, was arrested on a probation warrant after officers discovered he was wanted in Decatur County. Brandon Lee Osborne

The Douglas Police Department is attempting to identify and locate the three people shown in these photos. Anyone with information that could assist in identifying the individuals is asked to contact the Douglas Police Dept. at (912 ) 384-2222 or the Tips Line at (912) 260-3600. Information can also be shared on the Department’s Facebook page. Officials did not state why the individuals were being sought.

Douglas police are currently investigating the death of a 21-year-old man who was found hanged at a playground area of a local apartment complex Sunday. Officials stated that officers responded to 112 Pinecrest Dr. (Deerfield Apartments) just after 11 a.m. in reference to a deceased person. On arrival, they located the body of Sandrekean Shaheem Mathis in the playground area of the apartment complex. Emergency medical services responded to the scene and Mathis, whose body was found suspended from playground equipment, was determined to be beyond medical treatment. Police stated that video surveillance was obtained from the apartment complex, along…