More than 30 cited after massive house party at vacant home

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By Tom Jones

HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — More than 30 people received citations for attending an illegal party at a vacant Henry County home.

The property's owner, Stephen Copeland, told Channel 2's Tom Jones that the house had no electricity but the party organizers got a generator and hired a DJ for the massive house party.

Copeland said no one gave them permission to have the party, during which, he said, the home sustained thousands of dollars' worth of in damage.

“I would say easily about $6,000 worth of damage,” Copeland said.

When Copeland arrived at the home Saturday, he found beer bottles and trash everywhere.

“You can smell the marijuana. You could smell the drugs,” Copeland said.

He said there were hundreds of young people at the home for the party.

“They had a DJ set up out here, I believe,” Copeland said, showing Jones around the property.

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Copeland said that, when he found out about the party, he called police and rushed over.

Police said that, when they arrived around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, teenagers at the scene began running into woods, trying to get away. Police said they managed to detain some of them.

Copeland made it clear he wanted officers to prosecute.

“Everybody on the property gets cited. Everybody is trespassing. Everybody knows better,” Copeland said.

Police wrote 31 trespassing citations. Zikomo Hansen, 22, also faces charges of criminal damage to property.

Copeland said everyone had to have known it was an illegal party.

He told Jones that he’s gotten some information about the ringleader.

“We got a pretty good idea as to who instigated and coordinated this whole thing,” Copeland said.

He said he plans to pass those names and video on to police to investigate.

Some parents have asked Copeland if their kids could come and clean up the mess they caused. He told Jones he doesn't think that's a good idea.