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Grand jury hands down indictments

By LEE WILLIAMS
lwilliams@TheCitizenNews.com

The Peachtree City mom who allegedly burned her child with a cookie sheet.

A suspected drug dealer who allegedly tried to carjack several people on Ga. Highway 85 in Riverdale while fleeing Fayette County authorities.

The out-of-county school superintendent who allegedly tried to solicit a 15-year-old for sex and a Fayetteville man who allegedly fatally shot his business associate with an assault rifle.

These and a slew of others are one step closer to having their day in court after the Fayette County Grand Jury indicted them last week.

On July 12, the grand jurors listened to evidence. At the end of the day, they found there was enough evidence to indict about two dozen people. The indictments were read in open court the following day.

Among those indicted:

• Jorge Dominguez of South Peachtree Parkway, Peachtree City. Dominguez was indicted on charges of rape, false imprisonment and battery. The charges stem from a Dec. 17, 2004 incident.

• Anthony Jarreau Franklin, 22, of Dallas, Texas. Franklin was indicted on charges of aggravated assault, fleeing and attempting to elude authorities, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and possession of marijuana with an intent to distribute. The charges stem from a Feb. 21, 2005 incident.

• Matthew Robert Garofalo and Kevin Michael Mallory, both of Tangely Trail, Peachtree City. Garofalo and Mallory were indicted on one count of criminal attempt to armed robbery. The charges stem from a Jan. 28, 2005 incident in which the men allegedly held a knife to a man’s chest and demanded money.

• Enrique Refugio Gutierrez of Westbrook Road, Union City. Gutierrez was indicted on charges of trafficking marijuana and possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. The charges stem from a May 5, 2005 incident in which Gutierrez allegedly was caught toting over 10 pounds of marijuana.

• Brandon Veshaun Price, 23, of Brook Court, Peachtree City. Price was indicted on charges of rape and furnishing alcohol to a minor. The charges stem from a January 2005 incident in which Price allegedly supplied alcohol and raped a 16-year-old Sandy Creek High School student.

• Charles Sangster, 46, of Ebenezer Road, Fayetteville. Sangster was indicted on charges of felony murder and malice murder. The charges stem from allegations that Sangster shot and killed businessman Robert Groninger with a rifle outside of his business on July 6, 2005.

Another charge of aggravated battery was levied against Sangster during a special presentment on the grounds he allegedly shot Groninger’s finger off during the ordeal.

• Earnest Darryl Dean, 44, of Whitfield Walk, Zebulon. Dean, a former school superintendent for the Pike County School System was indicted on one count of computer pornography and child exploitation. Another charge of obscene Internet contact was lodged against Dean during a special presentment. The charges stem from an allegation that he tried to solicit a 15-year-old for sex and he engaged in sexually explicit talk with the teen over the Internet from Feb. 9, 2005 to March 9, 2005. The teen, however, was actually a female Peachtree City police officer in disguise.

• Chey Upshaw, 33, of South Peachtree Parkway, Peachtree City. Upshaw was indicted on one count of first-degree cruelty to children. The charge stemmed from a May 5, 2005 incident in which Upshaw allegedly beat her 8-year-old son with a switch and belt and burned him with a cookie sheet after he broke a lamp.

• Louis George Wilkins, 58, of Paula Drive, Tyrone. Wilkins was indicted on two counts of child molestation and one count of aggravated sexual battery. The charges stem from an allegation that Wilkins molested a 4-year-old girl. Another charge of child molestation was levied against Wilkins during a special presentment on the grounds he allegedly molested another girl under the age of 14.

Sangster was indicted seven days after he allegedly murdered his friend. Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney Scott Ballard said he saw no reason to wait on the case.

“We had the Grand Jury already scheduled for July 12 and because this isn’t a case where I really need to wait on crime lab evidence, I wanted to go ahead and get it indicted,” Ballard said. “If he sits in jail for over 180 days without being indicted he has a right to a bond and I’m anxious to move as fast as we can to get justice on this case.”

If convicted, Sangster could face life in prison or the death penalty. Ballard said it is too early to say whether he plans to make it a death penalty case.

The cases indicted now will be placed on the Oct. 31 arraignment calendar. Griffin Judicial Circuit Superior Court Judge Tommy Hankinson is expected to preside over the proceedings, which will be held at 10 a.m. that day at the Fayette County Courthouse.

After the arraignment, select cases will be placed on the March 2006 term trial calendar of the Superior Court, officials said.