By Melanie Ruberti

 Melanie.ruberti@lagrangenews.com

 

More arrests, charges in Newnan Street murder

Investigators also make arrests in Granger Park shooting

 

LaGRANGE – Another man sits behind bars in the Troup County Jail for his alleged role in the murder of Devan Tucker.

Investigators with the LaGrange Police Department arrested Natori Lee, 19, of West Point, and charged him with nine counts of aggravated assault and two counts of participation of criminal street gang activity.

Lee was the fifth person arrested in the shooting death of Tucker outside his home in the 200 block of Newnan Street on Dec. 17.

Dantavious Rutledge, 18, of West Point, Dextreion Shealey, 18, of Lanett, Ala., Charles Lovelace, 18 and Coty Green, 21, were arrested shortly after the murder.

All four men are also each charged with nine counts of aggravated assault and two counts of participation of criminal street gang activity, stated LPD investigators.

Detectives continue to search for two adult males and two juveniles also wanted for Tucker’s murder, said LPD Sgt. William Nelson.

He declined to name the suspects until they are in police custody. But all four will also each be charged with nine counts of aggravated assault and two counts of participation in criminal street gang activity, Nelson added.

Lee and Lovelace face additional charges for their roles in the drive by shooting at Granger Park less than an hour before Tucker was killed.

Both men were each charged with 11 counts of aggravated assault, two counts of participation in criminal street gang activity and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, stated LPD investigators.

Police are searching for two more suspects in connection with the Granger Park shooting. Investigators did not identify them, but said they too would each be charged with 11 counts of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and two counts of participation in criminal street gang activity, stated officials.

At least one of those suspects can be tied to both crime scenes, Nelson stated.

According to Lt. Dale Strickland, commander of LPD’s Criminal Investigation Section, the catalyst behind the incidents appeared to be postings made through social media that were intended to be disrespectful between gang members or associates of the gang.

“There is definitely an ongoing ‘beef’ between the two gangs,” Strickland told the Daily News in an article about the shootings dated Dec. 31.

Many of those involved in the incidents have connections to LaGrange, West Point and across state lines, officials stated.

“There were two separate groups who had differences, associated with gang culture, that led to violence,” explained Nelson. “While many in custody are from the West Point/Valley (Alabama) area, many of the victims and suspects have ties to both LaGrange and West Point.”

The shootings at Granger Park and on Newnan Street were not a random set of events, Nelson stated.  But investigators also do not believe there was a particular person targeted by the suspects.

 

Melanie Ruberti is a reporter with LaGrange Daily News. She can be reached at 706-884-7311, ext. 2156.