Law enforcement officers arrested 26 people and seized weapons, cash, and multiple dogs after uncovering a multi-state dogfighting operation in north Georgia, WSB-TV reported.
The bust unfolded late Friday night near the end of Jim Heard Road in Hart County. A Hart County deputy responding to a report of vehicles parked along both sides of the roadway heard dogs barking and growling from a nearby wooded area just before 11:30 p.m. Walking up a drive into the woods, the deputy found vehicles containing dog crates marked with blood. Three men fled upon seeing the deputy, who managed to take one suspect into custody while the others ran deeper into the woods.
Authorities deployed three K9 units and two drones to search the surrounding terrain. Officers located 20 people hiding in the woods and a nearby field, ultimately arresting six more suspects connected to the operation, including four who arrived at the scene and two found walking along a nearby road.
Investigators towed 26 vehicles from the site and seized firearms, a large amount of cash, and multiple dogs. Hart County Animal Control took custody of the seized animals. The exact number of dogs and the total amount of cash recovered have not been released by authorities.
Hart County Sheriff Chris Carroll condemned the operation and praised the coordinated multi-agency response.
All 26 individuals arrested at the site face charges of dogfighting and cruelty to animals. The suspects hail from 10 different states and Washington, D.C., highlighting the multi-state reach of the operation.
Those arrested include Patrick Oneal Heard, 48, of Elberton, Georgia; Ronald Greg Cunningham, 55, of Bowman, Georgia; and Rodriguez Deangelo Bell, 43, of McDonough, Georgia. Suspects from Florida include Tazmorronta Hollowell, 52, of Lauderdale Lakes; Edick Wellington Thomas, 52, of Clewiston; Dwight Eric Pinellas, 29, of Kissimmee; and Raymond Elusta Richo, 55, of Jacksonville.
A substantial contingent of the suspects comes from Mississippi.
Authorities also arrested Cory Lavon Edwards, 50, of Pontiac, Michigan, and Deandre Lindell Upchurch, 45, of Flint, Michigan. Arrests from South Carolina include Donnell Lamar Slade, 51, of Columbia; Jerell Dejaun Summers, 34, of Orangeburg; Eddrick Deewayne Twitty, 46, of Blackwood; and Glenn Everett Zebbs, 50, of Westminster.
Rounding out the list of those charged are Tina Monique Adams, 46, of Lancaster, Texas; Curtis Franklin, 45, of Rochester, New York; Terrance Franklin Davis, 48, of Dothan, Alabama; Jonathan C. Primus, 35, of Charleston, West Virginia; and Monty Henry, 33, of Washington, D.C.
Sheriff Carroll stated that the investigation remains ongoing and that additional charges may be forthcoming.
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