Newspaper Page Text
April 12, 2023
Page 5C
^Reporter
Ex-co-worker charged after Forsyth man shot
By Will Davis
publisher™ my mcr.net
Putnam County authori
ties have arrested a former
co-worker of a Forsyth
man who was shot while
leaving
his job at
the Lake
Oconee
Ritz-Carl
ton on Feb.
9.
Danny
Rodri-
guez-Ri-
vera, 37,
ofEaton-
ton, was
arrested
on Friday,
April 8, and
charged with two counts of
felony lying to police and
one count of driving on a
suspended license. But Put
nam County sheriff How
ard Sills said he doesn’t yet
have the evidence to charge
him in the shooting of
Ralph Rella,
67, of Forsyth.
Rella is the
Ritz-Carlton
manager who
was shot while
leaving work
for Forsyth
around
midnight on
Feb. 9.
Rella,
who lives
on Cabaniss
Avenue in
Forsyth, drove
himself to Putnam County
Hospital and survived his
injuries. Rella cited Rivera
as a possible suspect, saying
that had had a conflict.
Deputies questioned
Rivera twice. Sills said on
both occasions, Rivera told
law enforcement that he
didn’t leave his job at the
Ritz-Carlton that night
until well after midnight.
But Sills said video from
both the Ritz and the
Waffle House and Wing
Maxx show Rivera on the
road earlier. The Ritz video
shows Rivera and two
co-workers going into the
Ritz employee parking lot
around 11:40 a.m. All three
of them get into Rivera’s
BMW and then Rivera gets
out and pulls something
out his trunk, said Sills.
The other two guys return
to the hotel while Rivera
hides in his BMW behind a
dumpster, said Sills. When
Rella gets into his 2012 So
nata to leave, Rivera follows
him, said Sills. Still said
Rivera is originally from
Puerto Rico.
Rella was shot by some
one in a white car on
Hwy. 44 near Scott Road
in Eatonton around 11:45
p.m. that night. The gun
shot went through his arm,
said Sills. Hospital officials
called the sheriff’s office
around 12:06 a.m. Rella
told investigators he left
work at 11:45 pm. and was
driving South along Hwy
44 to Forsyth when a white
car pulled up behind him
and then moved alongside
of him and somebody
inside the car opened fire
on his 2012 Sonata.
One of the bullets passed
through the driver-side
window and hit Rella in the
arm, Sills said. The gunman
fired multiple times and
then sped on down the
road. Rella continued to
drive himself to Putnam
General Hospital, where
he was treated and trans
ported by ambulance to a
hospital in Macon.
The sheriff said there are
nine bullet holes in the
Sonata, made by either
a 9mm or a .40 caliber
handgun.
Sills told the Reporter
that video footage from a
Hwy. 44 business shows
Rella stopping briefly at
the intersection of Hwy. 44
and Scott Road, near the
Wing Maxx, that night.
Then a white BMW, which
matches Rella’s description,
passes by. Another video
shows the white BMW
pull into the Waffle House
further down Hwy. 44 and
cut its lights off, “which
is suspicious,” added Sills.
When Rella drives past
moments later on his way
to the hospital, the video
shows the BMW pulling
out of the Waffle House
and pursuing Rella at a
high rate of speed.
RIVERA
RAGE
Continued from 1A
and Thomas Morgan found
Burley near the weigh
station in Forsyth around
9:20 pm. lying on the
ground behind her 2020
Chevrolet Equinox suffer
ing a gunshot wound in her
lower chest area. EMS soon
arrived and began treat
ment. The Kia was parked
behind her.
The deputies removed the
occupants of the Kia, driver
Terry Lee Penn, 65, and
passenger Charlotte Lisa
Penn, 64, both of Stock-
bridge, and immediately
handcuffed them.
Terry Penn told Cpl. Eli
Sullivan they were travel
ing on 1-75 S around near
Hwy. 36 in Butts County
when he noticed Burley’s
Kia extremely close behind
him. He said he tapped his
brakes to get her to back
off, but she continued to
tailgate. He changed lanes
but she continued to follow
and when he moved over
to the fast lane, she pulled
in front of him and came
to a complete stop. Penn
said he had to slam on
his brakes to keep from
rear-ending her.
According to Penn, Burley
then got out of her car and
approached the driver’s
side of his Kia. He asked
her what her problem was,
and she then punched him
in the face. That’s when
Penn pulled his Kel-Tec
.380 caliber pistol from the
center console and started
shooting. He said he wasn’t
sure where Burley was
struck. He showed deputies
a cut on his upper lip as
well as a bruise beneath his
right eye.
Monroe County Inv.
Kemeyan Colvard found
a small plastic baggie of
marijuana in Burley’s front
passenger seat.
Terry Penn was treated
by EMS for his injuries
while Burley was taken to
Atrium in Macon. Burley
had active warrants out
of Jonesboro for traffic
violations, a warrant out
of Hurst, Texas for assault
with bodily injury and a
suspended Georgia driver’s
license.
On her Facebook page
on April 4, Burley posted:
“March 31st at 7:47 pm I
was followed by a white
man with his bright lights
on. I pulled over on the exit
for him to get from behind
me, he sat right there. I
called the police. I was
told to keep driving and if
a police officer needed to
pull the car over following
me they would. I did that. I
pulled over again not even
a mile down the road...
I couldn’t see due to his
lights. I pulled over at the
gas station to see why he
was following me with his
brights on... I got out the
car and threw my hands up
asking what the problem
was. I was shot four times
in my chest after being
called a c*nt. He pulled off
and left. I got back in my
car and called the police
again, just so happen two
officers heard the shots
and was already in route
to stop him. I drove myself
15 mins to the hospital. I
got there and police were
there. They cut my clothes
off and all four bullets fell
out of my shirt. The doctor
started crying and said girl
I’ve never seen this before.
You’re so lucky! I danced
out the hospital 6 hours
later with four gunshot
wounds to the chest and
a few muscle relaxers. I
pulled up on Aria 3 hours
later and we ran to our
granny’s house and ate ice
cream all night, then I went
to chill with my brother
and cousins. Not only did I
make it to work yesterday.
I closed on a 750k con
tract. I ain’t missed a beat. I
don’t look like what I been
through. If Friday night
didn’t do anything, it reas
sured me that I am favored.
Idc what attack you have
on my life, I’m protected.
Excuse me but this birth
day is gonna be a little
different, I gotta reason to
celebrate my life and I will
forever celebrate me be I
have a purpose. SN: He was
arrested on an attempted
murder charge and his wife
was arrested too. I was shot
with a 380 and at this time I
prefer my lawyer to handle
the rest but thank y’all so
much for the prayers and
love. I’m just fine.”
No she didn't!’
The "Best" (i.e. Craziest) Police Stories of the
Decade from The Monroe County Reporter
^Reporter
A stubborn exotic bull on a rampage for three months. A
naked woman romping at the Forsyth Inn. A deputy
crashing his patrol car head on into a light pole in the
Walmart parking lot.
These are just some of the crazy stories you'll find within
the pages of "No She Didn't!" We have scoured the
archives of The Best Little Newspaper in Georgia, The
Monroe County Reporter, for the most interesting police
stories over the years. Some are sad. Some are funny. All
are true. As we often tell people, yes, it really happened.
Proceeds from this book will go toward the Deputy Mi
chael Norris Memorial Scholarship the Reporter started in
201 4. It helps pay for college for Monroe County young
people interested in a career in public service. This book is
dedicated to Norris’ memory, and proceeds from it will
help to support like-minded young people who want to
serve their community. So thanks for reading.
No she didn't!’
The Best Incidents from the Monroe County Reporter since 2011
50 N. Jackson St. • Forsyth, GA 3 1 029 • 478-994-2358 • www.mymcr.net
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50 N. Jackson Street • Forsyth GA 31029 • 478-994-2358