The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current, December 22, 2018, Image 6

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The times., December 22, 2018, Image 6

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Newspaper Page TextI2J OUR REGION Shannon Casas | Editor in Chief 770-718-3417 | news@gainesvilletimes.com The Times, Gainesville, Georgia Saturday, December 22, 2018 Attempted murder added to CVS robbery charges BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com A charge of criminal attempt to commit murder was added in a Hall County grand jury indictment for a man accused of stabbing a CVS employee in the head, accord ing to court documents. Brandon Shane Dudley, 33, was charged with attempts to commit murder, armed robbery and other charges in a grand jury indictment handed down Tuesday, Dec. 18. His attorney Matthew Cavedon declined to comment. Dudley allegedly entered the store at 103 Jesse Jewell Parkway Nov. 1 demanding money and “immediately struck the employee in the head with a knife, lodg ing it into his head,” according to Gainesville Police. “The victim was actually able to give officers a good deal of informa tion that actually helped us,” Sgt. Kevin Holbrook said last month. According to the indictment, Dudley is accused of “seriously dis figuring (the victim’s) body” as the man has “staples and a permanent scar to his head.” Officers responded at about 1 a.m. to the reported robbery, and the male employee was transported in serious condition to Northeast Georgia Medical Center. Officers found Dudley shortly Dudley after the incident, and took him to the Hall County Jail. Hospital officials said the victim was discharged the week of the incident. Partners in faith: Ministries work together serving Gainesville homeless JOSHUA SILAVENT I The Times Art Gallegos, co-founder of Latinos Conservative Organization, and his daughter help pack boxes of shoes donated to Bridge the City for delivery to homeless men at Set Free Ministries in Gainesville. Individuals needing assistance in Hall doubled in 2017 from 2015 BY JOSHUA SILAVENT jsilavent@gainesvilletimes.com Several ministries and nonprofits have long worked to address the short- and long-term needs of the homeless in Gainesville and Hall County. But the needs persist. “I know what God says, as a people, as a town, as a state, if we continue this walk of casting away the poor and needy ...” said Aaron Clemons, pastor at Set Free Ministry in Gainesville for the last 11 years. He trailed off with choked emotion before offering an allegorical contem plation of the misfortune that befalls people who turn from one another. In 2015, the state counted about 50 homeless individuals in Hall County. In 2017, it counted 123. Both figures fall short of likely totals, which local advocates range at some where between 200 and 400 at any given time. Clemons alone is housing 46 men at Set Free, and can support up to 80 at a time. In recent years, more groups have emerged to contribute, such as The Way (a day center mission in midtown Gainesville) and Bridge the City (of Gainesville). And a new men’s shelter, as well as a separate women and chil dren’s shelter, are in development. Along the way, collaboration amongst these groups has become a more mission critical endeavor. Upcoming homeless count Georgia will hold a statewide count of homeless individuals between Jan. 28 and Feb. 3. To learn more about assisting with the count in Flail, Habersham or White Counties, email Michael Fisher, housing and program planner for Ninth District Opportunity, at michael.fisher@ ndocsbg.org “If we adopt the mindset that we are all in this together, the city wins,” said Andrew Bearden. Bearden founded Bridge the City in October 2015. He utilizes space in a warehouse downtown to collect dona tions for the homeless. On Thursday morning, Bearden was j oined at the warehouse by volunteers to sort through recent gifts, from hygiene products to jackets and blankets, to pro vide the homeless at Set Free. “Bring it all and we’ll sort out,” Bearden said. Shoes, though, were the biggest sin gle item Bearden had collected: some nice dress shoes, proper for a job inter view, perhaps; and military combat boots, perfect for the cold, wet weather that had moved in and a style befitting homeless veterans in the community. “It’s their means of transportation,” Bearden said, adding that he had wit nessed some homeless individuals stuff cardboard into their shoes to cover holes in the soles. Building relationships with minis tries like Set Free, Bearden said, and ensuring resources “get used and not mistreated” is how he builds trust with his own donors and partners. It’s what brought Art Gallegos along. “It’s something we’re all passion ate about,” said Gallegos, co-founder of Latinos Conservative Organization based in Gainesville. “This is something we can all give back to and be a part of. ” As Gallegos and others sorted and separated shoes by size and style, placed them in boxes for delivery, he reflected on how local groups can unite to serve the homeless. The son of a preacher and immi grant, Gallegos said he’s driven by a sense of spirit and community. “We all live together,” he added. “We have to learn to work together.” For Bearden, partnerships are sign of strength in faith. “And the power in collaboration,” he said. For Clemons, partnerships are sign that faith in action has a lot of mileage to it. “It means a great deal to these (homeless) guys who have given up hope and think no one loves them,” Clemons said. “It touches their heart and, therefore, mine. And it doesn’t exist without (these) Christian brothers and sisters.” METH ■ Continued from 1A surveilling the car before the traffic stop. “She had them, I think, just shoved in her pants. She tried to conceal them from us as we were pulling up on her,” Lt. Don Scalia said. Agents also seized $1,100 in cash, while offi cers also found less than an ounce of marijuana. De La Cruz had an outstanding probation warrant. The estimated street value is $2,800 per ounce, though the wholesale value in the drug trade may be $1,000 per ounce, Scalia said. Clanton was charged with trafficking and possessing meth with the intent to distribute, while De La Cruz was charged with misde meanor marijuana possession. They were both booked in to the Hall County Jail. Agents seized seven small bags of meth during a traffic stop on Thursday, Dec. 20, in Braselton. The estimated street value is $2,800 per ounce, though the wholesale value in the drug trade may be $1,000 per ounce. For The Times Man indicted in mom’s slaying BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com A Gainesville man was indicted this week in death of his mother after allegedly shooting her in the back of the head, according to court documents. Robert Timothy Stargel, 54, was charged with malice mur der, felony murder, aggra vated assault and aggravated battery in the death of his mother, Linda Arrington, 69, of Gainesville. Arrington was found by her husband around 6:30 a.m. Dec. 3 in their Sky- view Drive home off Ahaluna Drive. According to the indictment, the shooting happened between Dec. 2 and Dec. 3. In the aggravated battery charge, Stargel is accused of striking Arrington “with a hard object causing deep lacerations and swelling to her head and her right hand.” Defense attorney Larry Duttweiler did not respond to a request for comment. “Deputies and paramedics responded to the residence where it was determined that foul play was suspected in the death,” wrote Lt. Scott Ware of the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, in a news release at the time of Stargel’s arrest. Stargel was arrested in the 1600 block of Oak Brook Drive, although Ware said he was living at the Skyview Drive address. Authorities have not release any further details in the case. Stargel Gainesville man charged with rape BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com A Gainesville man is accused of raping a woman at a private residence, police said. A woman flagged down an officer working traffic enforcement Dec. 10 at Browns Bridge Road and Pearl Nix Parkway. The 27-year-old woman wanted to file a report regard ing a man she was previously acquainted with Jose Romero- Rodriguez, 37. The woman told the offi cer that Romero-Rodriguez “forced her to have sexual relations without her consent and against her will” the day before, according to a Gainesville Police report. Police said this is an ongoing investigation. Romero-Rodriguez was booked Tuesday, Dec. 18, in to the Hall County Jail, where he is being held without bond. No attorney information was available from Magistrate Court. Romero- Rodriguez CHOICE ■ Continued from 1A For enrolled students (who are city residents) in pre-K through fourth grades, choice enroll ment forms will be sent home with kids on Jan. 7. Information about each student’s assigned cluster will be printed on the letter. Parents must return the choice enrollment forms to the school office by Jan. 22. Students who are currently enrolled in Gainesville City Schools’ pre-K programs should attach two updated proofs of residency to the school choice form. Newly enrolling city residents in grades first through 11th should register at the Gainesville School Board Office, 508 Oak St., from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. between Jan. 8- 22. Parents should bring all required documents to register properly. Finally, newly enrolling nonresidents must complete a separate application at the Gaines ville School Board Office from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. between Jan. 8-22. Parents should bring the following docu ments: School transcript for high school stu dents, a current report card for elementary or middle school students, as well as attendance and behavior records. Acceptance or denial let ters will be mailed on Jan. 30. TOYS ■ Continued from 1A of the program, said she received help from the local Hispanic Alliance and Basan Ministries to reach out to pock ets of Hall County, which were overlooked in the past. “I love it,” Graham said. “I love seeing the families come in with their kids. From the military side of it, to the family side of it, and just the community side of it, this is a dream come true in how it’s developing.” Graham said one of the larg est donations came from TD Automotive Compressor Geor gia, LLC. Under the guidance of its president, Shinji Saji, the company raised around $1,500 and donated a 30-foot trailer load of toys. “It was a plant-wide effort,” said Penny Scott, the compa ny’s human resources office assistant. “This was an awe some opportunity to reach out to the community.” Chuck Bryan, veteran with the Marine Corps League, said his detachment started holding Toys for Tots in Hall County 10 years ago. During the program’s first year, the group of Marines hosted it inside of a house’s garage. Now it takes place inside a 1,000-square-foot warehouse. Comprised of high school ers, Marine veterans and indi viduals in the community, this year’s program had around 80 volunteers. Friday, Dec. 21, was the last out of five days the volunteers distributed toys to families. Shannon Head spent her first time volunteering with Toys for Tots this month. She brought along her 8-year-old son to help at the distribution center. “I’m volunteering because in the past they have helped me as well, and I just want to give back,” Head said. Graham also has her own story for joining the nonprofit’s efforts in the community. She was inspired to get involved by the Marines who run Toys for Tots. Five years ago Graham’s husband, who was a Marine, passed away soon after the two moved to Gainesville. Marines from Hall County and around the country trav eled to attend her husband’s wake and participated in the funeral’s Honor Guard. Graham said before the vet erans honored her husband, she didn’t understand the extent of brotherhood among Marines. “We didn’t know her, she didn’t know us,” Bryan said. “All we know was there was a Marine who passed. We went out and paid tribute to him. ” GATEWAY ■ Continued from 1A Butler said 164 of the 185 donors are individuals. The current shelter was built more than 30 years ago to house 15 people. The shelter is consistently at or above its capacity. The lease on Gateway’s current property will expire on Dec. 31,2020. Butler said the center is still on track to be in the location by the end of 2020. “We’re just really grateful for all the people in the community who have helped us get to this point. It’s really incredible when you think about how much has been raised for our domes tic violence shelter,” Butler said, as she now turns her attention to the last $500,000. Anyone interested in donating can contact 770- 539-9080 or www.gatewaydvcenter.org/2020.