HART COUNTY, Ga. — A complaint about vehicles parked along a rural road led deputies to an alleged dogfighting operation and the arrests of 26 people from nine states and Washington, D.C., according to the Hart County Sheriff’s Office.
All 26 face charges of dogfighting and cruelty to animals following the discovery late Friday, Oct. 30. Deputies towed 26 vehicles and seized multiple dogs, firearms and large amounts of cash.
Roadside complaint leads deputies into woods
A deputy responded to the end of Jim Heard Road just before 11:30 p.m. and found vehicles parked on both sides of the roadway. From nearby woods, he could hear dogs barking and growling, the sheriff’s office said.
As he walked up a drive into the wooded area, the deputy discovered more vehicles. Some carried dog crates that appeared to have blood on them.
The deputy encountered three men who turned and attempted to flee, according to the sheriff’s office. He detained one while numerous others ran into the woods.
Drones and K-9 units assist in search
Deputies from Elbert and Franklin counties and an agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office responded to assist.
Authorities used three K-9 units and two drones to search the area. Investigators found people hiding in the woods and a nearby field. Others were arrested after arriving at the scene or being found walking along a nearby road.
Hart County Animal Control took custody of the seized dogs. Authorities did not specify how many dogs were recovered or describe their conditions.
Sheriff Chris Carroll praised the responding deputies and assisting agencies.
“What started as a deputy responding to vehicles parked in the roadway led to the discovery of a large dogfighting operation involving individuals from multiple states,” Carroll said.
Suspects from nine states and Washington, D.C.
The sheriff’s office identified those arrested, listed alphabetically by last name, as:
- 46-year-old Tina Monique Adams of Lancaster, Texas.
- 43-year-old Rodriguez Deangelo Bell of McDonough, Georgia.
- 23-year-old Jahim Brown of Lexington, Mississippi.
- 55-year-old Ronald Greg Cunningham of Bowman, Georgia.
- 48-year-old Terrance Franklin Davis of Dothan, Alabama.
- 50-year-old Cory Lavon Edwards of Pontiac, Michigan.
- 45-year-old Curtis Franklin of Rochester, New York.
- 48-year-old Patrick Oneal Heard of Elberton, Georgia.
- 33-year-old Monty Henry of Washington, D.C.
- 52-year-old Tazmorronta Hollowell of Lauderdale Lakes, Florida.
- 53-year-old Cedric Lashawn Kyle of Jackson, Mississippi.
- 47-year-old Gregory Jermaine McCallun of Jackson, Mississippi.
- 41-year-old Jarrod Christopher Middleton of Jackson, Mississippi.
- 29-year-old Dwight Eric Pinellas of Kissimmee, Florida.
- 35-year-old Jonathan C. Primus of Charleston, West Virginia.
- 55-year-old Raymond Elusta Richo of Jacksonville, Florida.
- 33-year-old Keith Montel Skinner of Kosciusko, Mississippi.
- 51-year-old Donnell Lamar Slade of Columbia, South Carolina.
- 34-year-old Jerell Dejaun Summers of Orangeburg, South Carolina.
- 52-year-old Edick Wellington Thomas of Clewiston, Florida.
- 46-year-old Eddrick Deewayne Twitty of Blackwood, South Carolina.
- 45-year-old Deandre Lindell Upchurch of Flint, Michigan.
- 37-year-old Kristi Lakiah Watkins of Jackson, Mississippi.
- 46-year-old Ronald Kamel Wiggins of Jackson, Mississippi.
- 38-year-old Charles Jamaruez Wilson of Sallis, Mississippi.
- 50-year-old Glenn Everett Zebbs of Westminster, South Carolina.
The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming, Carroll said.
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