Gwinnett man who shot woman through door after she complained about loud music won't be charged
'I did nothing to deserve this,' said Jalyne Evans-Jones, through tears. 'It's just so frustrating because it's like they won't even believe us.'
She told Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson that she suffered serious injuries to her wrist and abdomen when Alejandro Querales-Morales fired a single shot through his closed apartment door at the Veranda Chase Apartments near Lawrenceville in August 2023, according to police.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The bullet struck Evans-Jones in the abdomen, damaging her liver and colon. She and her husband had gone to Querales-Morales' door around 10 p.m. to ask him to lower his music after the complex's quiet hours.
'We knocked on the apartment door politely to ask them to lower the music because it was after the apartment's quiet hours,' said Eric Jones, Evans-Jones' husband. 'We were thinking we were being neighborly, only to be met with a bullet being discharged behind a closed door.'
Querales-Morales told investigators he looked through his peephole and saw what he believed to be a gun, prompting him to fire in self-defense. According to police reports, Querales-Morales said he had people over for a gathering and had drank 'approximately seven beers' starting around 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. before the incident.
A witness from a neighboring apartment told police she saw Jones with a gun in one hand and a phone in another shortly after hearing the gunshot. Jones explains this was after he had returned to his apartment to retrieve his keys and his firearm, following the shooting of his wife.
'If I had a gun at that particular time, why would I not then turn around and discharge my firearm?' he asked. 'There was no evidence that they could produce that would put a gun in my hand prior to that shooting occurring.'
TRENDING STORIES:
Spelman instructor, beloved coach disappear from boat found circling on Lake Oconee
Apalachee High School shooting: Suspect's father granted $500,000 bond
Georgians could use e-driver's licenses if new bill passes
Initially charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct by Gwinnett police, the Gwinnett County Solicitor's Office later recommended upgrading the charge against Querales-Morales to aggravated battery.
In a September 2023 memo, the Solicitor's Office noted that Querales-Morales 'fired a firearm through a door knowing that victim was standing directly outside of doorway.'
The Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office dismissed all charges in January 2025, citing self-defense as the reason for the dismissal.
'There should be some accountability,' Evans-Jones said. 'To not receive any kind of justice is hard.'
Eric Jones says he will continue seeking justice for his wife. He is calling for three specific actions: a formal appeal to the District Attorney's Office to reinstate felony charges based on the available evidence, an independent review of the case, and legislative action to prevent similar cases from being dismissed under self-defense claims.
'I'm going to continue to advocate and fight for justice for my wife, which she rightfully deserves, if it takes the last breath,' he said.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Woman accused of manslaughter, hit-and-run for El Mirage crash that killed Ontario man
An Adelanto woman faces charges of manslaughter and hit-and-run in connection with a crash in El Mirage that left a 22-year-old Ontario man dead earlier this month, authorities said Tuesday. Carlos Ortega Jr. died shortly after the two-vehicle collision, which took place about 8:30 a.m. Aug. 3 along El Mirage Road, just El Mirage Airport Road, according to San Bernardino County coroner and California Highway Patrol officials. Teri Leeanne Jones, 43, of Adelanto has since been arrested and pleaded not guilty to charges of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and leaving the scene of an injury crash, San Bernardino County Superior Court records show. The crash Investigators determined that just prior to the deadly wreck, Jones was driving a 2003 Subaru Forester the wrong way on a dirt shoulder beside El Mirage Road, according to the CHP. Ortega was traveling on the road in a Honda Civic. The Subaru "made an unsafe turn in front of a Honda Civic," the CHP said in a written statement. "The driver of the Honda attempted to turn to avoid a crash with the Subaru and lost control, overturning off the roadway." Paramedics rushed the badly injured victim to a hospital, where he died a short time later, officials said. "Officers determined that the driver of the Subaru stopped at the scene, saw the significant injuries to the victim, and fled the scene upon arrival of emergency services personnel," the statement said. The arrest Investigators soon identified Jones as a suspect in the deadly hit-and-run and found the involved Subaru, CHP officials said. She was taken into custody on the afternoon of Aug. 6 in the 10600 block of Melody Place in Adelanto, according to county booking records. The vehicle was seized as evidence under a search warrant. CHP Victorville Area Commander Capt. Todd Kovaletz commended the investigators on their work. "The CHP takes hit-and-run crashes and unsafe driving seriously and will diligently work to investigate these incidents," he said. "The CHP has skilled personnel trained to investigate all crimes occurring on roadways in our jurisdiction." "The public's assistance is essential in solving hit-and-run crashes," according to the captain. "Anyone who witnesses any hit-and-run crash or dangerous driving incident is encouraged to call 911 and report the incident." A "kind, talented" entrepeneur Family members were left devastated by Ortega's sudden death, his mother, Elisabeth Garcia, wrote in a statement accompanying an online fundraiser set up to help with burial expenses. "As we gather to celebrate his life and mourn his loss, Jr. had a beautiful heart and loved to help everyone," she said. "He was kind, talented, and an entrepreneur who left his mark on the world through his clothing line." More: DUI suspected after Fawnskin man killed in crash between motorcycle, SUV at Big Bear Lake Jones was scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing in her case on Thursday in the Rancho Cucamonga branch of San Bernardino County Superior Court, records show. In the meantime, she was being held without bail. This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Woman accused of manslaughter, hit-and-run in deadly El Mirage crash
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘I miss my community': Acquitted of rape, former Cherokee County teacher wants his job back
Matthew Kealhofer, a former teacher at River Ridge High School in Woodstock, was found not guilty of raping his ex-wife and is seeking to return to his previous position. Kealhofer, who was a teacher and coach, was accused of rape by his ex-wife in 2023, leading to his arrest and charges despite his claim that the encounter was consensual. 'I was moving forward with my life, and I assume this was a way for her to get what she wanted,' he said. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] After a year of living under the shadow of these accusations, he was acquitted by a jury a few days ago. 'I miss my community, and my community has been there for me,' Kealhofer said in an emotional interview with Channel 2's Audrey Washington following the verdict. Kealhofer's attorney, AJ Richman, criticized law enforcement's handling of the case, stating, 'The investigator in this case knew about exculpatory evidence, meaning evidence that is helpful to the defense. ... They knew about all this helpful evidence to Matthew and nobody talked about it.' Kealhofer expressed his desire to return to his role at River Ridge High School, saying, 'It is my ultimate goal to come back and to be the thriving member to society that I was prior to all this nonsense.' Washington couldn't reach Kealhofer's ex-wife for comment. The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office defended their investigation, saying, 'We stand by the actions of the lead detective, who conducted a thorough and professional investigation. We remain confident in the integrity of the investigative process. We also fully respect the decision made by the jury.' A spokesperson for the Cherokee County School District acknowledged the incident but did not comment on Kealhofer's potential future employment with the school. TRENDING STORIES: Child at daycare eats kratom, needs to be revived, police say Radioactive shrimp heading for Walmart found at Georgia port GA lawmakers trying to eliminate state income tax, replace $16B shortfall [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Law and Order' President Trump Just Forced a Cop to Self-Deport
The Department of Homeland Security blamed local officials in Maine for using the department's federal database to determine the employment eligibility of a police officer who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last month, according to NBC News. ICE arrested Old Orchard Beach Police Department reserve Officer Jon Luke Evans late last month, shocking local law enforcement officials who had been told by the federal government that their colleague was permitted to work in the United States. ICE told the Associated Press Monday that Evans, who is originally from Jamaica, would be given the opportunity to voluntarily leave the country immediately. Evans has agreed to leave the United States. As Donald Trump ramps up his purported crackdown on crime in the nation's capital (and elsewhere), the removal of a law enforcement officer strikes a particularly ironic note—but Evans's removal hits on yet another crucial issue. Old Orchard Beach had previously confirmed Evans's immigration status by using E-Verify, DHS's online system for employers to quickly certify whether a potential employee can legally work legally in the U.S. based on records at the Social Security Administration and DHS. But apparently that's not good enough for the Trump administration. Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin accused Old Orchard Beach of 'reckless reliance' on her own department's program, according to NBC News. Critics of the program had said that it's easy to fool the E-Verify system with fake I-9 documents and stolen IDs. But employers have few alternatives to E-Verify. Nine states have even implemented laws requiring private-sector employers to use the fast and free program. Some opponents to the program have said that stricter enforcement could lead to discrimination and worker shortages. In the wake of Trump's sweeping deportation scheme, employers who use E-Verify have not been spared from immigration raids. In June, a food-packaging company in Omaha saw more than half of its workforce arrested, though the employer said he'd used E-Verify to check the work status of all of his employees. DHS recently added a new tool to notify employers when someone's employment authorization is revoked and must be reverified. If employees cannot provide new evidence of valid employment authorization, they will be terminated immediately. Solve the daily Crossword
