Detectives have arrested one man and charged him with the 2010 armed robbery of Kay Jewelry.
Chara Montel Goolsby, 29, of Atlanta was arrested Sept. 28 after detectives from the Covington Police Department and agents from the U.S. Marshall's Service located and apprehended Goolsby at his apartment in Atlanta. He was transported to Newton County and charged with armed robbery.
The arrest came after a 14-month investigation, where detectives received multiple anonymous tips, conducted several interviews and performed DNA comparisons in the case.
The robbery occurred on July 5, 2010. Detectives say Goolsby and two other men entered the jewelry store and forced the employees to the ground at gunpoint. The three took an undisclosed amount of cash and jewelry then fled in a dark-colored minivan.
Detectives are still searching for the two others who participated in the armed robbery. Anyone with information is asked to contact the CPD at (770) 787-6397 or online at www.covingtonpolice.com. All tips can be left anonymously.
Man asks for help, busted with drugs
A man who asked a Newton County Deputy for help getting gas into his broken down vehicle was arrested shortly afterwards, when the deputy allegedly noticed drug paraphernalia in plain sight in the vehicle.
According to reports, the deputy noticed a gold Hyundai Sonata parked on the side of Ga. Highway 212 around 5:45 p.m. Thursday. He pulled alongside the vehicle and spoke with the driver, Robert William Michael, who said he was out of gas.
The deputy offered Michael, who had a gas can, a ride to the nearest gas station and Michael accepted. After filling the can, the deputy took Michael back to his stalled vehicle, where he exited with Michael and stood next to the vehicle while Michael put the gas into it.
While standing there, the deputy glanced in the window and reportedly noticed a glass smoking device, commonly used to smoke drugs, sitting on the center console. He asked Michael if there was anything illegal in his vehicle and Michael allegedly told him there was not. However, when he asked if he could search the vehicle, Michael told him no, according to reports.
Because the smoking device was in plain sight it gave the deputy probable cause to search Michael's vehicle. When he told Michael this, he reportedly told the deputy that the pipe was "used to burn potpourri in."
When the deputy searched the vehicle he reportedly found several sealed bags of a green leafy substance that had been purchased at a tobacco store and generally gives a high comparable to marijuana. Michael legally purchased this, according to reports. What was not legal was the four Clonazepam the deputy found in a black baggie and the Coors beer can (still cold to the touch) - found standing in a shoe in the back floorboard behind the driver's seat - still about three-quarters full.
Michael was arrested and charged with possession of schedule IV narcotic, drugs to be kept in original container and open container.
Church AC units stolen twice
A local church had their air conditioning units stolen not once, but twice last week, and church members are asking that anyone with information call the authorities.
Mt. Olive Baptist Church off Ga. Highway 36 first discovered their unit stolen Saturday. Then again on Monday.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Newton County Sheriff's Office at (678) 625-1400 or contact them online at www.newtonsheriffga.org. All tips can be given anonymously.
