Acting in partnership with the U.S. Marshal’s Service, officers with the Statesboro Police Department helped capture a fugitive wanted for murder in north Georgia.
According to a release from Capt. Jared Akins, in the past two weeks, officers assigned to SPD’s Impact Team received information that a Ronnie Jones Jr. had returned to Statesboro from the Atlanta area. Jones was known to law enforcement in Statesboro and Bulloch County for several arrests, including a shooting incident in 2016.
Jones, 27, was wanted by authorities in DeKalb County in connection with a homicide committed in that jurisdiction. He had been a fugitive for several months and his case was being worked by the U.S. Marshals Service’s Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force.
“Using information received from informants, officers and U.S. Marshals set up surveillance on locations believed to be associated with Jones,” Akins said.
On Monday, Akins said they observed a Statesboro woman, Charity Smith, associated with Jones leaving Blakewood Apartments on East Olliff Street.
Officers and Marshals conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and discovered Jones hiding in the back seat. He was taken into custody and transported to the Bulloch County Jail where he awaits extradition to DeKalb County, Akins said. A firearm was located in the vehicle, as well.
Smith, 27, was arrested and charged with hindering the apprehension of a fugitive.
“(We) thank the U.S. Marshals for their assistance and hard work in bringing this violent felon to justice,” Akins said.
June 2016 shooting
In June 2016, Jones was arrested in Cobb County and returned to Bulloch County as a suspect in a shooting at a Statesboro apartment complex.
In that incident, Statesboro police responded to a report of a person being shot at Park Place Apartments on Lanier Drive on June 4, 2016. The victim was airlifted by Air Evac to Memorial Medical Center in Savannah for treatment of his injuries. He later recovered.
Jones was charged with aggravated assault with a gun. Akins said Tuesday that Jones failed to appear in court on that charge and his role in the shooting was never adjudicated. Akins said a bench warrant was issued for Jones at that time and was still active when he was captured for the DeKalb homicide.
Jones remains charged in Bulloch County with aggravated assault and the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s office will determine at a later date if Jones will be prosecuted on that charge from 2016, Akins said.