Community Corner

Child Molester Dies in Custody, Four Children Die in Blaze

Here are the top headlines from around the region.

 

Most Sought-After Fugitive and Child Molester Dies in Custody - Douglasville Patch

A 70-year-old man who spent the last 29 years evading law enforcement officials on child molestation and incest charges, died in custody Tuesday morning, according to Douglas County District Attorney David McDade.

Find out what's happening in Holly Springs-Hickory Flatwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Charles Leon Parker, a sexual predator indicted in January 1983 on three counts of child molestation and two counts of incest, died in a medical correctional facility in South Carolina, eight months after being taken into custody by authorities. The facility was housing Parker while he was awaiting trial in Douglas County. Read Douglasville Patch for more on this story.

Thirsty Thieves Smash Stolen Vehicle Through Midtown Liquor Store - Midtown Patch

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Mac’s Beer and Wine in Midtown was victimized early Wednesday morning when thieves utilized a stolen vehicle to conduct a destructive smash-and-grab.

According Atlanta Police Officer Kim Jones, at around 4:50 a.m., thieves smashed a blue Dodge Durango through the front of the store located at 21 Peachtree Place in the heart of Midtown.

A witness advised police that they saw two males passing liquor bottles out of the business before fleeing according to Jones. No arrests have been made at this time and it is currently not exactly known what was taken. Read Midtown Patch for more on this story.

Third Suspect in Lawrenceville Bank Robbery in Custody - Lawrenceville Patch

According to the Gwinnett County Sheriff's website, the third suspect in an armed robbery at a Lawrenceville bank in December is now in their custody.

Marcus Rashed Rutledge was booked into the Gwinnett County Detention Center at 5:15pm Tuesday. 

Gwinnett County Police believe Rutledge was one of the gunmen who held up the Wells Fargo on Lawrenceville Highway on December 28th. Read Lawrenceville Patch for more on this story.

Investigators search for clues in fire that killed 4 children - The Atlanta-Journal Constitution

State fire investigators arrived at a burned out home in Rockdale County early Wednesday to begin looking into an overnight blaze that left four young children dead.

The fire happened around 11 p.m. Tuesday at a duplex on Pinedale Circle, off Irwin Bridge Road in Conyers. Read the Atlanta-Journal Constitution for more on this story.

Gun Permit Applications in Bartow Spike - Cartersville Patch

Requests for firearms licenses in Bartow County have spiked since the mass shooting at Connecticut's Sandy Hook Elementary School that killed 20 students and six adults.

The local Probate Court, which issues Georgia Weapons Carry Licenses, normally averages 120 applications a month, Chief Clerk Rhonda Clark said.  

"In the three weeks since the shooting in Newtown, we have had 365 applications," she told Cartersville Patch on Tuesday. "It would be more if our LiveScan fingerprinting system had not went down for several days."

Clark said her office is averaging about 40 applications a day when normally it receives only about four per day. Read Cartersville Patch for more on this story.


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