About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (May 25, 2023)
Thursday, May 25, 2023 | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com Honestly Local 5 men plead in Hall deputy^ murder case BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com The last of five men accused of obstruction or hindering the arrests of the teens accused in the 2019 fatal shooting of Hall County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Blane Dixon has been sentenced, according to court documents. Dixon was killed July 7, 2019, after trying to pull over a car with four people inside. Investi gators believed the car was con nected to a series of burglaries at pawn shops and other businesses, including 27 firearms taken July 6, 2019 from Double Deuce Pawn & Gun in Gainesville. Four 17-year-olds — Hector Garcia-Solis, London Clements, Brayan Cruz and Eric Velazquez — were captured and originally charged with felony murder. Gar cia-Solis, Clements and Velazquez went to trial and were convicted. The admitted triggerman, Gar- cia-Solis, along with Velazquez were convicted of malice mur der, while London Clements was found guilty of felony murder in July 2021. Velazquez and Clements received life prison sentences with the chance of parole, while Garcia-Solis was sentenced to life without parole. Cruz was sentenced to 17 years in prison after a guilty plea to aggravated assault against a peace officer and conspiracy to commit robbery and burglary. Ten days after Dixon’s death, the Georgia Bureau of Investi gation announced the arrests of Jiovanny Castillo, 21, Antony Macias, 22, Adrian Gonzalez Verduzco, 22, Rodolfo Rodriguez Puentes, 21, and Jorge Rodri guez, 23, all of Gainesville. Rodriguez entered a negoti ated plea May 5 to misdemeanor obstruction and two counts of theft by receiving stolen prop erty. He was sentenced by Supe rior Court Judge Lindsay Burton to 12 months on probation, 20 hours of community service and ■ Please see DIXON, 3A ‘Very Grateful’ Photos by SCOTT ROGERS I The Times Atlanta United players visit an event Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at Myrtle Street Park to celebrate the opening of a mini-pitch as part of the club’s GA 100 campaign. The mini soccer field was granted to United Way of Hall County by the Atlanta United Community Fund. Atlanta United delivers on mini soccer field in Gainesville BY BRIAN WELLMEIER bwellmeier@gainesvilletimes.com Players with Atlanta United’s soc cer team walk-passed, dribbled, spot- kicked and executed patterns of elite footwork alongside 50-100 young ath letes at Myrtle Street Park in Gaines ville Wednesday as the professional futbol club fulfilled a year-long promise of bringing a miniature soccer field to the city’s eastside. The basketball court there at the park already had long been used as a makeshift soccer field. Now, with capital available through the Georgia 100 matching fund grant, The Atlanta United Community Fund — a subcommittee of the Arthur Blank Foundation — selected Gainesville as one of 100 cities to receive the min iature field that was already in use Wednesday evening. Atlanta United Community Fund Committee member Chris Raimondi explained that after the city of Gaines ville’s Parks and Recreation Depart ment and United Way of Hall County learned of the $75,000 offered through the grant, officials were eager to pursue the opportunity and made it happen. Gainesville is now the second city in Georgia to meet all of the criteria for the grant, Raimondi said. “We know this community has been wanting more soccer fields ... just see ing what the support of soccer can do for youth — but just the community at large — to bring people together. It’s awesome,” Raimondi said. Mayra Rodriguez, who stood watch ing her young son drill a soccer ball toward a goal Wednesday, described the impact she believes the new field will have in the Myrtle Street community. “It means a lot, especially since soc cer has grown throughout the commu nity, this means a lot that they took us into consideration,” she said. “My son loves to play soccer. I love to play soc cer. So I’m glad they did this.” Standing alongside professional soc cer players Brad Guzan, Tyler Wolff and Amar Sejdic, Mayor Sam Couvil- lon delivered a statement of gratitude to the Atlanta United Community Fund, calling the new field an asset to the city. “To be in the presence of profes sional athletes like this —for these young people to be able to see them and be exposed — that means the world to them and I’m very grateful,” Couvillon said. “Soccer is so important — not only in our country, but specifically here in our town of Gainesville. For you guys to decide to invest in our community, that just means the world to us. For (kids) to have a safe place to go, after school, to come play with their friends, learn the game and hopefully grow the game, this is just so meaningful.” Gainesville was one of 100 cities in Georgia to receive a miniature field from the Atlanta United Community Fund. " mu i ni n iwe Deputy details man’s escape from cruiser BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com Hall County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Brian Postma turned around May 7 to find the person he had put in his patrol car for drunk driving was no longer there. “He had a maybe 20-second, 30-second head start,” Postma testified Wednesday, May 24. Postma testified as the sole witness at a com mittal hearing Wednesday for Roy Mugambi Wanjohi, 29, of Gainesville. Wanjohi faces charges of escape and attempted hijack ing a motor vehicle from a May 7 incident on Limestone Parkway in Gainesville. Postma said he saw a Mercedes C class car going northbound reaching speeds of 80 mph. The deputy said the car made a “very abrupt stop” in the median of Limestone Parkway when trying to initiate a stop, but he directed the car to a nearby parking lot. After conducting a field sobriety test, Postma said Wanjohi was placed under arrest for DUI of alcohol(less safe) in the back of his patrol car. Though the legal limit in Georgia for blood alcohol concentration is 0.08, law enforcement can still charge DUI (less safe) if the person is under the influence of drugs or alcohol “to the extent that it is less safe for the person to drive,” according to Georgia law. The Sheriff’s Office said another of the pas sengers had an outstanding arrest warrant. Meanwhile, Wanjohi continuously moved back ■ Please see WANJOHI, 4A Wanjohi Shannon named sole finalist for UNG presidency BY BEN ANDERSON banderson@gainesvilletimes.com A sole finalist has been named to take the helm of the University of North Georgia. Michael Shannon, a retired U.S. Army officer with a background in nuclear tech nology who currently serves as an administrator at Geor gia Tech, is set to replace out going UNG President Bonita Jacobs, who will retire in June. The University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents, which over sees 26 colleges in the state including UNG, voted Wednesday and must wait at least five days before making Shannon’s appointment official. “I am so incredibly honored to be consid ered to serve as the next president of the Uni versity of North Georgia,” Shannon said in a news release. “The tradition, the character and the impact of this historic institution are unmatched,” he said. “UNG’s students represent the best of Georgia and the best of America.” “Dr. Shannon’s nearly three-decade career in the military, as a researcher and in higher education has demonstrated tremendous leadership and effective communication while building solid relationships with his col leagues, peers and students,” USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. “Mike likes to say he leads from the front and then gets out of the way, and I believe his deep experience and energy make him an ideal candidate to help students, staff and faculty at UNG build on the great success they found with President Jacobs.” UNG’s budget is expected to shrink by $24 ■ Please see UNG, 3A Shannon
