Gwinnett County

Gainesville man accused of fatally shooting girlfriend in their car on I-985

BUFORD -- A Georgia man has been arrested and charged with felony murder after his girlfriend was shot and killed in their car on I-985 in Buford. On July 22, the Gwinnett County Police Department received a 911 call that a female shot herself in a vehicle on I-985 Southbound in Buford. The caller, 30-year-old Lawrence Gray, of Gainesville, told police that his girlfriend, 30-year-old Katlyn Head, also from Gainesville, shot herself while they were in their car. Detectives investigated the vehicle and the crime scene to gather evidence. They also spoke with witnesses to gather more information about what…

News Blog: Free COVID-19 Testing, Flash Flood Warnings and car crashes

Free COVID-19 Testing in Forsyth County Free COVID-19 testing provided by District 2 Public Health will be held at Browns Bridge Church at 3860 Browns Bridge Road. Tests will be by appointment only from 8:30 a.m to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, August 5. To schedule a testing appointment, please call 770-781-6900. As of Monday, Forsyth County had 1,942 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 20 people in Forsyth have died from the virus. More info is below: Flash Flood warning issued for Nancy Creek area A flash flood warning is in effect until 10:30 p.m. for the area around Nancy Creek…

Dog rescued from thrift store fire

LAWRENCEVILLE -- Gwinnett County Firefighters rescued a dog from a thrift store in Lawrenceville was heavily damaged by fire Thursday afternoon. Firefighters responded to a neighbor's report of a fire at the Quinn House Thrift store at 219 Scenic Highway in Lawrenceville at 3:49 p.m. The neighbor reported seeing smoke coming from the front and back of the store. When firefighters arrived at the store, smoke was pushing out of all sides of the two-story commercial building, with the heaviest amount at the rear and right side. Firefighters forced their way into the closed business by cutting an opening in…

Spike in COVID-19 cases causes events in Snellville to be canceled through October

SNELLVILLE -- The recent surge in coronavirus cases in Gwinnett County and throughout the state has caused the Snellville to cancel all of its Tourism and Trade events through October. Canceled events include the Snellville Concert Series, Star Spangled Labor Day, Taste of Snellville, and the city's Fall Festival. The Snellville Farmer's Market and Food Truck Friday events will continue. “Due to the increase in COVID-19 cases and rise in hospitalizations, we feel it is important to keep the health and safety of our citizens and visitors first and foremost,” Snellville Tourism and Trade Executive Director Kelly McAloon said. “We…

NEWS BLOG: Chinese mystery seeds come to Georgia, Gwinnett property tax bills delayed

The Georgia Department of Agriculture is warning residents and farmers not to plant unsolicited seeds they receive in the mail from China. The warning comes as several states have issued similar warnings about a rash of unsolicited seeds being mailed to the U.S. from China. Anyone who has received unsolicited seeds in the mail from China or any other country is encouraged to contact the Georgia Department of Agriculture Seed Lab at 229-386-3145 or e-mail SeedLab@agr.georgia.gov. The seed packages may appear similar to the photos below. Gwinnett tax bills delayed Gwinnett County's property tax bills have been delayed due to…

Burned body found in Gwinnett County identified

Updated July 27: The Gwinnett County Police Department has released the photo above of the man found burned near Gwinnett Place mall. The photos were taken at a convenience store prior to the homicide. DULUTH -- Police say they have identified the burned body found near Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth. The victim has been identified as 47-year-old Duluth resident Raul Zapata-Garcia. At this time detectives are working to find more information on this case and are urging anyone who may have information about Zapata-Garcia to come forward. On Monday, a man called 911 after locating the body at about…

NEWS BLOG: Road closures, Coronavirus testing and government promotions

Georgia Power will be closing a lane of traffic on Sea Island Road near Mackay River in Glynn County on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. , in order to complete an emergency repair of the main transmission line. This will be a single lane closure, and travelers should expect delays. Lumpkin County COVID-19 testing will be appointment only Wednesday The Lumpkin County Health Department, will have testing by appointment only Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. this week. https://twitter.com/LumpkinCountySO/status/1287838763595583489 Staffing changes in Gwinnett County Government Gwinnett County Administrator Glenn Stephens has filled four senior management positions, including…

322 people have died from coronavirus in Georgia this week

Georgia's COVID-19 death toll continues to mount. According to data from the Georgia Department of Public Health, the state reported 322 deaths from the virus this week. A total of 3,495 people have died from the virus statewide since the pandemic began. Georgia added 3,787 new cases Saturday, bringing the total to 165,188. The department of public health reported 277 more hospitalizations and 39 more ICU admissions Saturday. The total number of hospitalizations is 17,029 and the total number of ICU admissions is 3,158. The rolling 7 day average for cases appears to be hitting a new plateau and currently…

VIDEO: 22-year-old COVID-19 patient released from hospital after more than 3 weeks

DULUTH -- After spending more than three weeks in the hospital for COVID-19, 22-year-old Michael Mullinix was released to the fanfare of nurses and police officers celebrating his recovery. He was released from Northside Hospital-Duluth after spending three and a half weeks on a ventilator in the hospital's ICU unit. The video above was posted on the Duluth Police Department's Facebook page.

Missing 16-year-old Loganville girl found safe

Updated Friday, July 24, 2020: Asha Bluett has returned home safely according to the Gwinnett County Police Department. The original story is below. LOGANVILLE -- Police in Gwinnett County are searching for a missing 16-year-old. The Gwinnett County Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating Asha Bluett. She disappeared from home on Julianna Drive sometime Wednesday night. Bluett’s family said that she is on foot but likely may not know where she is. Police describe Bluett as a 16-year-old girl with a ponytail with shaved sides. She was last seen wearing black sweatpants with white stripes and…

Police: Burned body found in Gwinnett County was shot

DULUTH -- Police say a burned body found in the woods near Gwinnett Place Mall Monday may have been shot at least one time. The case has now been determined to be a homicide and police are still trying to confirm the identity of the body. On Monday, a man called 911 after locating the body at about 11:30 a.m. on a wooded trail near the intersection of Satellite Boulevard and West Liddell Road. When officers arrived on scene, they discovered the burned body and immediately contacted homicide investigators. If anyone has any information to share in this case, they…

Burned body found in Gwinnett County

DULUTH -- Police are searching for clues after a burned body was found near Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth. Police say a man called 911 after locating the body at about 11:30 a.m. on a wooded trail near the intersection of Satellite Boulevard and West Liddell Road. When officers arrived on scene, they discovered the burned body and immediately contacted homicide investigators. At this time, it has not been determined whether this is a homicide, suicide, or accidental death. Arson investigators and the medical examiner’s office have been requested and are assisting at the scene. If anyone has any information…

Victim in I-85 shooting identified

NORCROSS -- The man who died in a shooting on I-85 over the weekend has been identified. Gwinnett County Police say the victim was 31-year-old Steven Vallejo of Norcross. Police say Vallejo was shot and killed by another driver shortly after 12:30 a.m. Sunday. Homicide detectives determined that the two vehicles involved were traveling South on I-85 near the exit for Indian Trail Lilburn Road. “For reasons currently unknown, the suspect fired one shot from his vehicle into the victim’s vehicle. The victim was struck by that round. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his…

Man dies after being shot by another driver on I-85

NORCROSS -- A man died after an early morning shooting on I-85 in Lilburn Sunday. According to the Gwinnett County Police Department, the man was shot and killed shortly after 12:30 a.m. Homicide detectives determined that the two vehicles involved were traveling South on I-85 near the exit for Indian Trail Lilburn Road. Police say the shooter's vehicle, a silver passenger car was driven by a black male and was traveling in the far right lane of I-85 southbound. The victim’s vehicle, another black passenger car was was exiting onto Indian Trail Lilburn Road. "For reasons currently unknown, the suspect…

Watch for prying eyes when withdrawing money from the bank

A Gwinnett County man's car was broken into while he was at a doctor's office just after withdrawing money from a local bank. According to the Gwinnett County Police Department, on Friday, July 10, shortly before noon, the man made a large cash withdrawal from a bank on Jimmy Carter Boulevard in unincorporated Norcross. The bank customer visited a doctor’s office immediately following the bank visit. While he was inside the business, his vehicle was broken-into, and the cash was stolen. A man in a nearby vehicle witnessed the incident and took photos of the suspect and his vehicle. The…