Kennesaw man arrested in deadly Polk shooting

ROCKMART — The suspect in a shooting that left one man dead over the weekend in Polk County was arrested.

According to the Polk County Police Department:

Bartow County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested 40-year-old Jesse Castillo late Saturday night by following up on an anonymous tip.

He was transported to the Polk County Jail and is being held without bond.

Castillo is accused of shooting and killing Michael Griffith early Saturday morning in the 500 block of Clarkwood Road in Rockmart. He is charged with murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

Police responded to a call in the area at 3:35 a.m. in reference to a shooting, according to a release by Det. Brandon Crawford. When they arrived they located 40-yearold Griffith lying in a ditch with multiple gunshot wounds.

He was transported to Polk Medical Center but was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Castillo is the lone suspect in the case, Crawford said, and reportedly fled in a white work truck found abandoned Saturday afternoon one county over in Cartersville.

The Polk County Police Department extended their thanks to the Rockmart Police Department, Redmond EMS, Rockmart Fire Department, and the Polk County Coroner’s Office for their assistance in this case.