HART COUNTY, Ga. — Law enforcement officers arrested multiple people after discovering a multi-state dogfighting operation in north Georgia Friday night.
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All 26 individuals face charges of dogfighting and cruelty to animals following a multi-agency response near the end of Jim Heard Road in Hart County.
The bust began just before 11:30 p.m. when a Hart County deputy responded to a report of vehicles parked along both sides of Jim Heard Road. Upon arriving, the deputy heard dogs barking and growling from a nearby wooded area.
As the deputy walked up a drive into the woods, he found more vehicles containing dog crates, several of which had blood on them. Three men ran away when they spotted the deputy, who took one man into custody while others ran into the surrounding woods.
The Hart County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and an agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office.
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Law enforcement officers deployed three K9 units and two drones, including one from Hart County, to search the area. Authorities located 20 people hiding in the surrounding woods and a nearby field.
Investigators arrested six more suspects connected to the operation, including four who arrived at the scene and two who were found walking along a nearby road.
Law enforcement towed 26 vehicles from the site and seized guns, multiple dogs and large amounts of cash. The number of dogs and amount of cash seized was not released.
Hart County Animal Control took custody of the seized dogs.
Hart County Sheriff Chris Carroll commended the multi-agency response and condemned the operation.
“Dogfighting is a cruel and inhumane activity that has no place in Hart County or anywhere else,” Carroll said. “I am extremely proud of our deputies for their quick actions and outstanding work in locating and apprehending these individuals.”
The 26 suspects arrested facing charges of dogfighting and animal cruelty include residents from 10 states and Washington, D.C.:
- Patrick Oneal Heard, 48, of Elberton, Ga.; Ronald Greg Cunningham, 55, of Bowman, Ga.; and Rodriguez Deangelo Bell, 43, of McDonough, Ga.
- Tazmorronta Hollowell, 52, of Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.; Edick Wellington Thomas, 52, of Clewiston, Fla.; Dwight Eric Pinellas, 29, of Kissimmee, Fla.; and Raymond Elusta Richo, 55, of Jacksonville, Fla.
- Ronald Kamel Wiggins, 46; Kristi Lakiah Watkins, 37; Gregory Jermaine McCallun, 47; Jarrod Christopher Middleton, 41; Keith Montel Skinner, 33; Cedric Lashawn Kyle, 53; Jahim Brown, 23; and Charles Jamaruez Wilson, 38, all of Jackson, Miss., or surrounding Mississippi towns including Kosciusko, Lexington and Sallis.
- Cory Lavon Edwards, 50, of Pontiac, Mich., and Deandre Lindell Upchurch, 45, of Flint, Mich.
- Donnell Lamar Slade, 51, of Columbia, S.C.; Jerell Dejaun Summers, 34, of Orangeburg, S.C.; Eddrick Deewayne Twitty, 46, of Blackwood, S.C.; and Glenn Everett Zebbs, 50, of Westminster, S.C.
- Tina Monique Adams, 46, of Lancaster, Texas; Curtis Franklin, 45, of Rochester, N.Y.; Terrance Franklin Davis, 48, of Dothan, Ala.; Jonathan C. Primus, 35, of Charleston, W.Virginia; and Monty Henry, 33, of Washington, D.C.
“This investigation remains ongoing and additional charges may be forthcoming,” Carroll said.
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