HALL COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says five more teenagers have been arrested in connection to the murder of a Hall County deputy.
Jiovanny Castillo, 17, Antony Macias, 18, Adrian Gonzalez Verduzco, 18, Rodolfo Rodriguez Puentes, 17, and Jorge Rodriguez, 19, all of Gainesville, Georgia, were charged with tampering with evidence and hindering apprehension of a criminal.
Macias, Verduzco, Puentes and Rodriguez were additionally charged with theft by receiving stolen property.
According to officials, Deputy Nicolas Dixon, 28, was attempting to stop a stolen car when he was shot by one of the suspects in the area of Jesse Jewell Parkway and Highland Avenue between 11 and 11:15 p.m.
Dixon had been with the department for three years. The Hall County Sheriff's Office said Dixon was a father to a 9-year-old son and a 4-month-old son.
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Hall County investigators described the arrests as “textbook.”
“We counted 1,200 hours just from our criminal investigations division at the Sheriff's Office,” said Derreck Booth with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.
For days, investigators have been going, at times door-to-door, looking for suspects and 27 guns stolen by the group of teens in the day leading up to the July 8 chase and shootout.
“They had full intentions on tearing up a bunch of stuff,” said pawn shop owner Jesse Mowbray.
The arrests are a relief to him. He owns the Double Deuce pawn shop. The missing guns were taken from his shop during a smash and grab. Investigators believe the accused triggerman was using one of the guns when he killed Dixon
“When I found out Officer Dixon had passed, I was mortified to say the least,” Mowbray said.
The arrests are in addition to the four teen suspects, including the accused shooter, who were taken into custody shortly after Dixon's death.
The suspects have been identified as:
- Hector Garcia-Solis, 17
- Brayan Omar Cruz, 17
- London Clements, 17
- Eric Edgardo Velazquez, 17
“There’s no winners in this. Period. But there is some satisfaction coming to this conclusion today,” Booth said.
The accused triggerman in the case remains hospitalized. He was hit several times by return fire. He and three others face murder charges.
Authorities aren't ruling out more arrests but we're told they believe this is the bulk of the suspects.