Latest news with #GwinnettCountyPolice
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
A boy with autism was reported missing in Gwinnett County. Here's what happened next...
The Brief We're learning more about a search for a ten-year-old boy with autism. He disappeared from his home on Bethany Church Road in Snellville. The Gwinnett County Police Aviation Unit spotted the boy from the air and guided officers on the ground to his location. GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Authorities are releasing more details about how they were able to find a 10-year-old boy with autism who had been reported missing last month. What we know A boy was missing, and his mom was desperate. Gwinnett County police body cam video shows an officer radioing in his description. "The 10-year-old is going to be in a tan shirt, New York state is on the shirt, brown sweatpants, black shoes, he's on foot," the officer said. Police sent out officers on the ground and in the air. Air-1 took off to help in the search. "It's always a little scary for parents when a child goes missing," said Tactical Flight Officer Steven Johnson with the Gwinnett County Police Department's Aviation Unit. It happened around 9 p.m. on April 29. The boy, just 10 years old, disappeared while playing near his home. What they're saying "I wanted to be able to get there and help as much as possible," said Officer Johnson, who is part of the crew that got the call and is a dad. "Just trying to think about what you would do or what you can do to help as a parent, let alone an officer." Officers from Gwinnett County police fanned out. "We were using infrared," Officer Johnson said. Finding a person at night in the dark with trees obscuring the view is challenging even with infrared cameras. "It's harder for the IR camera to penetrate through, so it becomes a lot more difficult to spot people." Police scanned the woods for two-and-a-half hours searching for the boy, Johnson said. The Air-1 crew decided to check near the child's home one more time before they headed back to refuel. "We ended up spotting him in a field about 200 yards from his house," Johnson said. Air-1 spotted the boy alone in the woods, appearing to dance. "Every once in a while, he would go hide under a tree and just ball up and sit on the ground," Johnson said. "We love being able to find bad guys. When we find people who don't know they're in trouble or they need the help, it's a great relief." Paramedics treated the boy, and police returned him to safety. The Source The Gwinnett County Police Department provided the details for this article.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Gwinnett woman says estranged sister won't return elderly parents she hasn't seen in weeks
A Gwinnett County woman says she hasn't seen her elderly parents in weeks. She says her estranged sister checked them out of a memory care facility last month, but won't return them. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Beverly Davison says it's been weeks since she's last seen her parents, Roy and Dorthy. 'I don't know where my parents are,' she told investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln. She says doctors told her, her parents needed around-the-clock care. Both are in their 90s and are living with dementia. Beverly placed them at a Gwinnett County memory care facility until an estranged sibling came to visit them the day before Easter. 'They were told when they left the facility, they would be back in 24 hours. It's been 20 days and they're still not back,' Davison said. TRENDING STORIES: Chief describes East Point sexual assault case as 'one of the most horrific' in nearly 30 years Pope Leo XIV: Who is the first American pope? North Georgia paramedic accused of installing camera in ambulance office restroom In the following weeks, Beverly says not only has her sibling refused to disclose their location she's also noticing money dwindling from their bank accounts. She showed Lincoln her father's credit report, showing where his score dropped 50 points. She says she's also been locked out of all of his accounts. 'I got medications that are being notified on my phone that need to be picked up. I'm just worried about my parents,' said Davison. Guardianship attorney Robby Hughes says cases like this aren't unusual. 'Issues with your parents as they age are the kind of things that just tear people apart,' he told Lincoln. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] He says being appointed power of attorney or legal guardian isn't enough prevention. Hughes says the best protection is to have a court order from a judge proving this family member poses a concern. 'Just simply obtaining a guardianship is not going to stop children from visiting their parents,' he said. He says that by having that order, it will alert the facility. 'Put facilities to be on the lookout for bad actors and ask that they be screened properly before they are allowed in,' Hughes said. 'I love my parents very much. I'm 64 and I've never been estranged from my parents,' said Davison. Davison has filed a missing person's report with Gwinnett County Police. Lincoln reached out to the memory care facility. They told her because of patient privacy policies, they can't comment at this time but are looking into this matter. Lincoln also reached out to Davison's estranged sister for a comment, but she hasn't responded.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Yahoo
This 5-Year-Old Nonverbal Georgia Boy Hopped Over His Home Balcony and Disappeared, With Heartbreaking Results
You may have seen flyers of this boy, 5-year-old Indi Bullock, on your social media pages last week. Local Georgia police posted his picture, desperately asking for the public's help in locating him after he vanished. However, the cops finally came back with a development on the search… and it's a heartbreaking one. Gwinnett County Police say Bullock was last seen around 4:25 p.m. Thursday, March 27 around the Sweetwater Apartments. Authorities circulated his pictures, a sweet Black boy with a ton of hair and a toothy smile, asking for tips on his last whereabouts. Police said he jumped over the balcony of his residence before wandering off. Police described him as three feet tall, forty five pounds with black hair, brown eyes and also said he was nonverbal. He was last seen wearing his mane of hair in two braids as well as a a black shirt, green shorts and no shoes. Once the boy was reported missing, the police said they, along with Emergency Management, deployed K9 units and search teams during the evening, overnight and in the following wee hours. They also searched the pond behind the apartment complex with a dive team and remote-operated submarine donning cameras. However, after 14 hours of searching, the Hall County Sheriff's Department dive team and Gwinnett County Fire Department Swift Water Rescue teams confirmed on March 28 they found Bullock's remains. 'It's emotional for everyone involved. It's hard for everyone to deal with when you end up with an innocent child who walked away from the apartment complex and ended up in the retention pond,' said Gwinnett County Police Cpl. Ryan Winderweedle via 11Alive News. While investigators were sent to the scene to investigate, it stands now that there was no suspected foul play. Winderweedle described it to be a 'tragic accident.' As the county medical examiner determines Indi's cause of death, his family created a GoFundMe for donations to help lay him to rest. 'Indi was a bright, beautiful soul who brought joy to everyone who knew him. His absence leaves a void that can never be filled. As we process this tragedy, we are asking for support to help cover funeral expenses and provide relief to his grieving family during this incredibly difficult time,' wrote Indi's mother, Chakia Carter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Yahoo
Police searching for new leads in hit-and-run crash that killed 24-year-old woman
The Brief Investigators are searching for new leads in a hit-and-run crash that killed 24-year-old Mecha Woodard in Gwinnett County. Woodard was hit while walking on the side of State Route 316 during a storm in September. Officials say the suspect vehicle was a 2019-2022 Lexus RX350 or RX450 that had damage to its front passenger-side bumper and headlight. GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Gwinnett County police are asking the public for new leads in a deadly hit-and-run case that happened last year in Lawrenceville. It's been months since 24-year-old Mecha Woodard was struck and killed by a vehicle along State Route 316. The driver did not stay on the scene and has not been identified. What we know Investigators say Woodard was hit during a storm in the early morning hours of Sept. 27, 2024. The Sandy Springs woman had pulled her vehicle over and was walking in the gore zone between State Route 316 and the entrance ramp from Boggs Road when she was struck. Through vehicle parts collected at the scene, investigators say they have determined that the suspect vehicle is a 2019-2022 Lexus RX350 or Lexus RX 450. The SUV suffered damage to the front passenger-side bumper and headlight. "It's going to be obvious to this person that they struck something that night. I can't say to whether or not, what that person knew that they struck or what they saw, because at the point in time when the accident occurred was one of the heaviest points in time for the storm." Cpl. Collin Flynn said. "So, it would have been raining, and the storm conditions would have been very bad at that point in time." What they're saying At a press conference in October 2024, Woodard's mother, Shelly Xiong, urged the driver to come forward. "Please, if anybody has any information or knows anything, please, I'm begging you to please call the police. Help me find the person that is responsible for my daughter's death," Xiong said. What you can do If you have any information about the incident, call Gwinnett County Police detectives at (678) 442-5653 or submit a tip to Crime Stoppers at (404) 577-8477. The Source Information for this story was taken from the Gwinnett County Police Department and previous FOX 5 reporting.
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Miami Herald
17-03-2025
- Miami Herald
Missing teen last seen on doorbell camera found safe one year later, Georgia cops say
More than a year after vanishing, an Atlanta-area teen has been found safe, Georgia police said. Asata Amun has been in the care of the Tennessee Department of Children's Services since February 2024, the same month she went missing, Gwinnett County Police said in a March 17 news release. Investigators said she had been using a fake name. 'A breakthrough in the case occurred when a Tennessee Department of Children's Services case manager identified inconsistencies in Asata Amun's statements, prompting further research into missing children in Georgia,' according to police. 'This led to contact with the Gwinnett County Police Department,' authorities said. Amun's father reported her missing Feb. 1, 2024, police said. The then-16-year-old was last seen on a doorbell camera running out the front door of the family's home in Buford, and authorities said she didn't take any of her belongings. At the time, the teen's family told police that Amun had been disciplined at school the day before she vanished but said she never talked about running away. Authorities said they're still investigating the circumstances of her disappearance. Buford is about a 40-mile drive northeast from downtown Atlanta.
