Murder charges filed in Tamassee Lane shooting
Felony murder charges were filed against Demonte Tywon Penn, 26, accused of shooting to death Martez Keith Harris, 25, outside Harris’ apartment at 22 Tamassee Lane.
Floyd County Deputy Coroner Brent Whatley said Harris died of multiple gunshot wounds and his body was taken to the GBI Crime Lab for autopsy.
According to Floyd County Jail records and Rome Police Capt. Roy Willingham:
The incident — reportedly a domestic dispute that began in Harris’ apartment — became public at 6:20 p.m. Wednesday when calls about the gunshots started coming in to the 911 Center.
Witnesses said Penn, whose address is listed as 325 Edgewood Ave., chased Harris down the trail between the apartments and West Rome Walmart, 2510 Redmond Circle. He was found by police, kneeling over Harris’ body with his hands up.
When emergency responders arrived, they found Harris unresponsive but with a very faint pulse. He was immediately taken to Floyd Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead in the emergency room.
Police: Drunk man made threats
A Rome man accused of being drunk in public and threatening to hurt a 38-year-old woman on Wilson Avenue was in jail Thursday pending a $5,700 bond.
According to Floyd County Jail records:
Gabin Lamar Haynes, 41, of 29 W. Butler St., was arrested shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday and charged with felony terroristic threats and misdemeanor public drunkenness.
5 face meth charges after traffic stop
Five Floyd County residents were in jail on drug charges Thursday after police allegedly found them with methamphetamine during a routine traffic stop.
According to Floyd County Jail records:
The vehicle was stopped just before 10 p.m. Wednesday at Walmart, 825 Cartersville Highway. Cheyenne Autumn Smith, 23, of 131 Dodd Blvd., was cited for a seat belt violation.
Smith also was charged with felony possession of meth, along with Julie Sat- terfield, 35, of 2572 Kingston Highway; Cotey Alan Kohler, 32, of 115 Southern Grace Estate; Matthew Walter Fortune, 31, of 6 Cliffview Drive; and Dustin Blake Trammell, 29, of 9 Fountain Square.
Bond was set for each of them at $5,700. Koehler also is facing three misdemeanor charges of failure to appear in court and his bond on those offenses totals $9,744.
Report: Man attacked relative
A Cedartown man charged with aggravated assault was in jail Thursday with a bond set at $11,200.
According to Floyd County Jail records:
Bobby Lee Hulsey Jr., 22, of 41 Saw Mill Road in Cedartown, went to the home of a relative in Rome just before 9:30 p.m. Wednesday and started a fight. He choked a 19-year-old man during the altercation, leaving red marks on his throat. The incident took place in front of Hulsey’s child.
Hulsey is charged with felony aggravated assault and the misdemeanors cruelty to a child in the third degree, affray and battery under the Family Violence Act.
Man accused of meth in syringe
A Floyd County man charged with having methamphetamine during a traffic stop was in jail Wednesday pending a $5,700 bond.
According to Floyd County Jail records:
Alex Shane Bowes, 24, of 10 Parkwood Circle, was stopped at 2:44 p.m. Wednesday on Morrison Campground Road at Price Road. He told police he had meth in the backpack he was wearing. Police found a pipe with residue and a syringe containing a liquid he said was meth.
Bowes is charged with felony meth possession and the misdemeanors driving without insurance and driving on a suspended license. Diane Wagner, staff writer
Man hit by pistol in attempted robbery
A man reported being smashed in the head with a pistol early Wednesday during an attempted robbery at the intersection of Maple Avenue and East Sixth Street.
According to Rome police reports:
Police responded to Floyd Medical Center to speak with the man, who was being treated for injuries, around 1:50 a.m. The man said he was walking home around 1 a.m. when a man came up to him asking for money. After saying he did not have any, the man turned away and started walking, only to look back behind him and see the suspect charging toward him.
He was able to initially push the man away from him, but the suspect then pulled out a pistol and hit him on the head. The suspect then fled and the man could not provide a detailed description of him to police.
In responding to an officer’s question as to why it took so long to call police, the man said he had “to go home and cool off.” Spencer Lahr, staff writer
Inmate also charged with credit card fraud
A homeless man has had felony credit card charges added to the list of accusations that have held him in the Floyd County Jail since May 14.
According to Floyd County Jail reports:
Joseph David Soler, 45, of Rome, obtained a card from a room at McAllister Hall on April 25. The victim is listed as the college itself.
The following day, Soler ran up charges for a hotel room. Later that day he made three charges at the Dollar General on Fifth Avenue, Publix and a convenience store on Turner McCall. A couple of days later the card was used at the same Dollar General, Hibbett Sports and Home Depot.
The total value of the charges exceeded $600.
Soler has been held in the Floyd County Jail pending $7,900 bond for a couple of burglary charges since May 14. However at this point, no bond has been issued for the new felony charges of financial transaction card fraud and financial transaction card theft. Doug Walker, associate editor