Richmond County Sheriff's Office has busy weekend investigating crime

Monday, Oct. 2, 2017

RICHMOND COUNTY, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -- Starting late Friday night to late Sunday afternoon, deputies responded to scene after scene, and now they say the work is really just getting started.

“Well I can tell you at the Sheriff’s Office we do have bad weekends, and this might fall under that category.”

Lt. Allan Rollins with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is talking about a deadly pedestrian crash, a deadly shooting near a Waffle House, a shooting at the Augusta Mall, a body found, a 17-year-old and an 8-year-old shot and killed.

“I’ve been here off and on for 21 years. I might leave the area for a little and come back. But it is sort of tragic things like that happen around here,” said resident Rodriquez McGruder.

Crime scenes across the county, from Deans Bridge Road to Hephzibah, to Barton Chapel.

“This was one of those weekends where it was scattered and it was anywhere and everywhere,” said Lt. Rollins.

The Criminal Investigations Division responded to case after case, making two arrests in 48 hours and starting the search for another suspect for the mall shooting.

The community and deputies agree, communication is key.

"We need more help in our community than we're used to having," said McGruder.

'They felt a little lost before, but now they feel like the sheriff's office really cares for them and in that, they give us a little more," said Lt. Rollins.

Information that helped investigators piece together four shootings in one weekend.

"This isn't TV. This isn't a bunch of guys putting two months of work into a one-hour show. This is these guys hustling, following up on information and making progress on leads," said Lt. Rollins.

Even though some arrests have been made the cases are far from closed. Deputies will have to follow them through the court system. And of course, we'll keep you updated on all of them.