DEKALB COUNTY, Ga — Dekalb County Police have arrested the 62-year-old man accused of killing a gas station worker.
Jurrell Bethal turned himself in this week and for the first time we’re hearing from the family of the victim.
Channel 2′s Audrey Washington spoke the victim’s son, Ryan Hodge, who says he is at peace; because the suspect has been caught.
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Ryan says he’s not surprised to learn that his father, Ronald Hodge, lost his life while protecting someone else. He said his father was the kind of person who would help anyone.
Ryan got the devastating news from his uncle on Tuesday.
“He told me hey your dad just got shot and killed” Hodge says.
Ryan is sad but also at peace.
“I felt peace when I found out a little bit of how it happened because I think I would have done the same thing,” Ryan told Washington.
He says Dekalb County Police told him his father was protecting a woman from a man at the Valero gas station on Candler Road, Tuesday morning, when that man shot Ronald Hodge, in the face.
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Freddie Searcy, a friend of the victim, described what it was like on Tuesday.
“I heard a shot and I was like wow,” said Searcy.
Detectives identified the shooting suspect as, 62 year old Jurrell Bethal; Bethal turned himself in to police on Wednesday.
Ryan Hodge says he’s relieved.
“It was tragic and I’m suffering through it, but like I said, I’m feeling the peace.”
Friends of Ronald Hodge told WSB-TV, Ronald was just talking about his concern about crime in this area, before the shooting.
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