Wednesday, June 25, 2025
The Braselton News
Page 5A
Public Safety
Braselton
Man posing as police officer scams woman for over $2,300
A Braselton woman said
a male caller, posing as an
Alpharetta police officer,
scammed her out of over
$2,300, claiming the woman
had an arrest warrant.
According to a Braselton
police report, the man in
structed her to pay fines
through Zelle in the amounts
of $1,212, $812 and $300.
The woman said she had sent
the payments before visiting
the Alpharetta Police Depart
ment and learning that the
man did not work there.
The woman said she also
received emails from the man
involving her personal life
and loans she’d taken out.
OTHER INCIDENTS
Other recent incidents in
vestigated by Braselton po
lice included:
•death investigation on
Mossy Oak Landing where
a woman died from a re
ported heart attack.
•suspicions activity on
Spout Springs Rd. where
a man was seen pushing a
sleeping female child in a
shopping cart to another
man, who then placed the
child into the rear of a truck
and closed the door. The
other man then drove out of
the parking lot. A witness
said that the child never
woke up, and the other man
did not place the child in
a car seat or use a seatbelt
when putting the child into
the vehicle.
•fraud on Democracy Dr.
where a woman claimed she
gave another woman nearly
$9,500 in gift cards to help
the woman, who contacted
her via Facebook, repair her
truck. The woman said this
person told her she would
pay her back more than she
gave her. An officer told the
woman locating the other
woman would be difficult,
even if the suspect’s Face-
book account was real.
•theft on Hopehaven
Way where a man said his
handgun that he kept in his
bedroom closet was miss
ing. He noted that multiple
contractors have been in his
home since he last saw the
weapon.
Jail log
Recent arrests made across Jackson County
The following people
were recently arrested by
various agencies across
Jackson County:
JACKSON COUNTY
SHERIFF’S OFFICE
• Tina Gail Anderson,
8606 Holly Springs Rd.,
Maysville — exploit/
inflict pain to/deprive
essential services to a
disabled or elderly per
son and hold for Banks
County.
• Brittany Danielle
Buffington, 210 Fairlane
Dr., Jefferson — failure
to appear.
• Jenna Ashley Fran
cois, 10 Parkview Homes,
Athens — probation vio
lation.
• Brandon Shane Har
kins, 1268 Pocket Rd.,
Braselton — sexual bat
tery.
• Joel Anthony Narva,
4394 Drigtwater Rd., Du
luth — two counts of pro
bation violation.
•Haden Sundown
Walker, 19, 15 Constitu
tion Ave., Pendergrass —
probation violation.
• Jason Lee Gravitt, 40,
152 Saymore Dr., Athens
— hold for Dawson and
Lumpkin counties.
• Jerome Travis Ayre,
27, 51 Hardin Terrace
Cir., Jefferson — driving
while license is suspend
ed; hold for immigra
tions; hold for Monroe;
tag lights violation; and
bondsman off bond for
two charges.
• Rufus Whitfield III,
29, 339 Gainesville St.,
Carnesville — probation
violation.
• Jacques Zi-Qwan Bak
er, 18, 4266 Links Blvd.,
Jefferson — criminal
trespass; possession of
drug-related objects; loi
tering or prowling; and
possession of marijuana
less than an ounce.
•Marquies Vernard
Cox, 32, 2227 Cabin
Creek Rd., Nicholson —
simple assault-family vi
olence.
• Joe Thomas Hardy,
35, 674 High Meadow
Dr., Jefferson — simple
assault-family violence
and terroristic threats and
acts-family violence.
• John Paul Petrisko, 62,
880 Lavender Rd., Jeffer
son — failure to appear.
• Keon Christopher Rak
estraw, 19, 652 Ridgeway
Rd., Commerce — crimi
nal trespass and loitering
or prowling.
• George Joseph Bartel
Jr., 57, 68 A.J. Irvin Rd.,
Talmo — hold for Gwin
nett County.
• Jason Christopher
Fields, 40, 48 Rock Forge
Ct., Jefferson — proba
tion violation.
•Lavourgours Bruce
Gilbert, 55, 55 MLK Jr.
Dr., Jefferson — two
counts of probation vio
lation.
• Zenobia Denise Gor
don, 34, 1941 Prather Dr.,
Augusta — hold for Rich
mond County.
• Jared Michael Han
nifin, 48, 1885 Ebenezer
Church Rd., Jefferson —
simple assault-family vi
olence.
• Wesley Hunter Hard
wick, 22, 416 Staplers
Bridge Rd., Nicholson —
battery.
• Jordan Allen Johnson,
25, 540 Glen Gee Rd.,
Pendergrass — fleeing
or attempting to elude a
police officer-felony; no
passing zones violation;
and reckless driving.
• George Tutuboy Nag-
be, 39, 239 Jarrod Oaks
Ct., Loganville — hit and
run.
• Jerry Donald Seabolt,
42, 525 J. S. Williamson
Ct., Nicholson — viola
tion of a family violence
order.
• Vickie Dudley Wat
son, 60, 2515 Ramsey
Cir., Gainesville — ha
rassing phone calls.
• Kevin Russell Culber
son, 32, 122 Welch Place,
Athens — driving while
license is suspended or
revoked.
• John Mark Flem
ing, 56, 77 Boyd Rd.,
Hoschton — simple as
sault-family violence.
• Luis Fernando Mun
guia-Castillo, 26, 217
Blue Iris Ct., Winder —
driving without a valid
license.
•Brooklyn Dawn
Woodard, 24, 809 Mar
low Rd., Maysville —
driving without a license;
driving under the influ
ence (DUI)-per se; and
stopping, standing or
parking in roadway.
• Brandon Shane Har
kins, 40, 1268 Pocket
Rd., Braselton — proba
tion violation.
• Hunter Brandon Har
kins, 18, 275 Whitney
Rd., Jefferson — DUI-al-
cohol-less safe; duty to
report an accident; failure
to maintain lane; open
container; and too fast for
conditions.
• Joshua Clyde Harris,
42, 181 Forest St., Jeffer
son — two counts of pro
bation violation.
• Hunter Wesley Lamar
Jackson, 19, 2528 Old
State Rd., Pendergrass —
probation violation.
•Melissa Avery
Hirschlein, 44, 393 W.
Smith Rd., Jeferson —
probation violation.
• Todd Marlon Beale Jr.,
24, 5158 Amberland Sq.,
Atlanta — hold for Doug
las County and probation
violation.
• Scottland Tyrone
Burns, 39, 68 Sunny Ln.,
Commerce — incarcera
tion order and probation
violation.
• Cheyenne Marie
Campbell, 25, 1990 Wil
low Trail Pkwy., Norcross
— probation violation.
• Alyssa Blair Griffin,
25, 160 Glenn Fuller
Cir., Commerce — bat
tery-family violence;
criminal trespass; and
cruelty to children-third
degree.
•Niqua Ahmir Hes
ter, 26, homeless — two
counts of reckless con
duct and simple as
sault-family violence.
•Melissa Avery
Hirschlein, 44, 396 W.
Smith Rd., Jefferson —
crossing state/county
guard lines with weapons,
intoxicants or drugs with
out consent; giving false
name, address or birth-
date to a law enforcement
officer; possession of
methamphetamine; pro
bation violation; and tam
pering with evidence-fel
ony.
•Eric Crow Nolan, 37,
homeless — probation vi
olation.
• Robert Andrew Reid,
27, 1548 Joe Bolton Rd.,
Commerce — probation
violation.
•Michael Antho
ny Rush, 42, 2591 Doc
Hughes Rd., Buford —
probation violation.
• Josue Julian Rivas, 22,
1730 Inlet Lake Place,
Snellville — probation
violation.
BRASELTON PD
•Matthew James Rup-
pel, 57, 4725 Strickland
Rd., Flowery Branch —
hit and run.
•Alia Chanel Dicker-
son, 31, 6618 Reafield
Dr., Charlotte, N.C. —
Violation of the Georgia
Controlled Substances
Act.
•Kohl Zahir Ray, 28,
6618 Reafield Dr., Char
lotte, N.C. — Violation
of the Georgia Controlled
Substances Act.
COMMERCE PD
• Ryan Lee McColl,
38, 111 Creekside Dr.,
Commerce — driving on
roadways laned for traf
fic; DUI-alcohol; and two
counts of endangering a
child by DUI.
• Floyd Rodney McK
inzie, 51, 1823 Hog
Mountain Rd., Jefferson
— DUI-alcohol.
• William Kenneth Nor
ris, 54, 665 Ridgeway
Church Rd., Commerce
— driving on divided
highways; DUI-alcohol;
and obedience to a traf
fic-control device.
• Timothy Ray Oden II,
34, 419 Wilbanks Cir.,
Commerce — DUI-al
cohol; speeding (53/35);
and open container.
• Avilio Portillo, 25, 618
Anderson St., Charlotte,
N.C. — driving without a
valid license and posses
sion of cocaine.
•Michael L’Wayne Sol-
oman, 41, 455 Lewis Cir.,
Commerce — DUI and
open container.
• Avilio Portillo, 25, 618
Anderson St., Charlotte,
N.C. — driving without
a valid license; hold for
Immigrations and Cus
toms Enforcement; and
possession of cocaine.
HOSCHTON PD
• Peir Carlos Altami
rano Gomez, 33, 991
Buckley Place, Norcross
— driving without a valid
license and following too
closely.
• Shivraj Ramesh Patel,
36, 350 Hillcrest View
Dr., Suwanee — DUI-al
cohol; failure to maintain
lane; open container; and
reckless driving.
JEFFERSON PD
•De’Martre Terrell
Robinson, 22, 575 Con
cord Rd., Pendergrass —
criminal trespass-family
violence.
•Josue Serda, 26, 26
Maria Cir., Jefferson —
receipt, possession or
transport of a firearm by a
convicted felon or felony
first offender.
• Samantha Kathleen
Ford, 36, 201 Lynn Dr.,
Homer — disorderly con
duct.
• Alex Jovanny Cabal
lero-Chacon, 30, 1116 El
len Ave., Rock Hill, S.C.
— driving without a val
id license and speeding
(90/70).
• Bogar Robles, 27,
2570 Athens Hwy., Jef
ferson — driving without
a valid license and tail-
lights violation.
PENDERGRASS PD
• Deandrua Latrice Fer
guson, 33, 540 Glenn
Gee Rd., Pendergrass —
DUI-alcohol.
GEORGIA STATE
PATROL
•Keaton Dimetric Ar
nold, 38, 188 Third St.,
Athens — DUI-alcohol
and speeding (63/45).
West Jackson incidents
Man looking for dog
claims another man
shot at his drone
The Jackson County
Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) re
cently responded to a dis
pute on East Castle View
Dr. where a man searching
for a lost dog with a drone
claimed another man shot at
the device.
According to the report,
the other man denied firing
at the drone but said he shot
toward a sandbag to scare
the dog from his property
and stop the drone from fry
ing over his residence.
OTHER INCIDENTS
Other recent incidents re
ported in West Jackson by
the JCSO included:
•suspicious activity on
Hwy. 124 where a customer
was reusing coins multiple
times at a coin machine.
•damage to a vehicle on
Hwy. 124 where a driver
reportedly left a dent in a
man’s vehicle at the Publix
shopping center and left the
scene.
•juvenile issue on Hwy.
124 where a fast-food
restaurant employee said
four teens rode through the
store’s drive-through on
bikes and dirt bikes after be
ing told to leave the location
because the business was
closed.
•information on Boulder
Hall County
HCSO confirms
identification
of man found
dead in roadway
Investigators with the
Hall County Sheriff’s Of
fice (HCSO) have con
firmed the identity of a
man whose body was dis
covered in the roadway on
McConnell Dr. near Moun
taincrest Drive in Hall
County earlier this month.
Andres Mateo Hernan
dez, 31, of Gainesville,
was pronounced dead at
the scene. His next of kin
have been notified of his
death.
At this time, the cause
of death for Hernandez is
unknown. Investigators
continue to await autopsy
results.
His body was discov
ered in the roadway of a
Gainesville neighborhood
on June 1. HCSO deputies
Crest where a man said he
feared for his and his fam
ily’s lives because he sus
pected a man who was re
leased from prison pulled
into his driveway. He said
the man had been serving
a sentence for beating his
daughter five years ago.
Prison records, however,
showed that the man was
still incarcerated.
•suspicions activity on
Antrim Glen Dr. where a
woman said a man, whom
she did not know, was tak
ing photos or videos of her
home.
•reckless conduct and
simple assault on Hwy. 53
where a woman reported
that her juvenile daughter
and the juvenile’s father ar
gued over who would drive
and wrecked while traveling
in a vehicle. She said the
father grabbed the steering
wheel, causing the vehicle
to swerve into a ditch. The
daughter said her father was
“trying to kill her.” The fa
ther reportedly left the scene
and began walking towards
Hall County. He will report
edly face charges.
• agency assist on Hwy. 53
where a man reported that
his tractor-trailer caught
fire.
responded to the intersec
tion of McConnell Drive
and Mount Crest Dr. just
before 3:30 a.m. after a
911 caller reported hear
ing a crash and then find
ing Hernandez unrespon
sive victim in the road. He
was pronounced dead at
the scene. His body was
transported for autopsy
to determine the cause of
death.
At this point in the in
vestigation, it is unclear if
a vehicle struck Hernan
dez and then left the scene
or if he collapsed and died
in the roadway. All possi
bilities remain under in
vestigation. Anyone who
has information in the
case may call Investigator
Bray at 770-533-7813.
State
DDS urges drivers to choose state-certified driving schools
Whether for driver train
ing or improvement, the
Georgia Department of
Driver Services (DDS) re
minds residents to select
a state-certified driving
school. Certification ensures
instructors are qualified and
the curriculum is both ef
fective and compliant with
state law.
“It is important that cus
tomers select schools that
are certified by DDS to en
sure students receive con
sistent, comprehensive and
up-to-date instruction on
traffic laws, road safety and
risk reduction,” said DDS
Commissioner Angelique
B. McClendon.
DDS warns that some
schools operate without
proper certification. Stu
dents who attend uncerti
fied programs risk receiving
poor-quality instruction and
may face delays in driver li
cense issuance or reinstate
ment. DDS only accepts
certificates of completion
from certified schools.
Certified instructors must
complete state-required
training and are vetted to
ensure they can teach safe,
lawful and effective driving
techniques.
How to identify a certified
school:
• Visit the DDS website:
A full list of certified driv
ing schools — including
those offering online and
third-party testing — is
available at dds.georgia.
gov/regulated-programs.
• Ask questions: Cus
tomers should ask, “Is
your company certified by
the Georgia Department
of Driver Services?” and
“Are all of your instructors
DDS-certified?” If the an
swer is no, visit the DDS
website to find a certified
provider.
DDS also recommends
downloading the Georgia
Digital Driver’s License and
ID to your phone’s wallet
and creating an online ac
count to monitor any chang
es to your license status.
For more information,
visit dds.georgia.gov.
