🌱 Welfare Check Leads To Burned Body + Blue Harvest Tea A Finalist

Hello, friends! I'm back this morning with the latest Loganville-Grayson Patch newsletter. Today's briefing includes updates on:

• Lawrenceville teen, who was shot to death this month, was protecting brother from MS-13.
• Local farm's Blue Harvest Tea was selected as a finalist in UGA's Flavor of Georgia contest.
• Spalding County dam posing "imminent" threat as nearby residents are told to evacuate.

But first, today's weather: We can expect slightly cooler temperatures today with a high of 70 and a low of 42 and cloudy skies throughout the day may make for a little chill at times.

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Here are the top stories in Loganville-Grayson today:

1. On Wednesday evening, Gwinnett County Police arrived at a home in Lawrenceville to perform a welfare check on 28-year-old Rubi Nava. Once they arrived, officers reported that she was not at the home and began to investigate her disappearance. Investigators received information that indicated her ex-boyfriend may have harmed or killed her, so Jahir Alejandro Conteras Sagahon, 29, was then taken into custody for questioning. It was discovered that Sagahon had severe burns on his hands and face. According to police, Sagahon and Nava had an argument that escalated, and Sagahon choked Nava until she was no longer breathing. He then drove her body in her car to Oglethorpe County and set it on fire. Nava's car and body have since been discovered and sent to the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner, while Sagahon has been charged with felony murder, cruelty to children in the third degree, and aggravated assault. (WSBTV)
2. The Lawrenceville teen, Jose Daniel Martinez, 16, who was shot to death behind an abandoned house earlier this month, was trying to protect his brother from the MS-13 gang. According to the testimony of an undercover detective, Dennis Caldazilla-Hernandez, who goes by the name "Lobo," shot Martinez for lying about the whereabouts of his brother, which was deemed "disrespectful." Video evidence shows Hernandez driving in his mother's SUV with the victim, in the neighborhood where Martinez's body was found. The video also shows the same SUV leaving the neighborhood just 10 minutes later. The name "Lobo" is also spray-painted on the house where Martinez was found. Hernandez denies any involvement with the gang or with the murder. He has now also been charged with being in a gang and is being held without bond. (WSBTV)
3. Fake landlord scams have become more prevalent in recent months. A Gwinnett County homeowner recently discovered that his house was a part of a scam. Homeowner Brian Hamilton answered a knock at the door to a young lady coming to look at his house because it was for rent, however, it has never been for rent as long as he's owned it since 2017. He was confused, but by the third time it happened, and with one woman claiming she'd scheduled an appointment with him, he knew something was wrong. He discovered that his home was listed for rent on Zillow, Trulia, and Hotpad, with his name listed as the contact, but he wasn't the one that was being contacted. The ad has since been removed. Channel 2 has been investigating these scams for quite some time, and numerous homeowners and renters have been scammed. Red flags to watch for are prices that sound too good to be true, asking for personal information before a viewing, and seeing the home on multiple sites with different details. (WSBTV)

Today in Loganville-Grayson:

• Today is the opening of Today's Kids Consignment Sale, LLC and their Children's Spring/Summer Sale this week in Loganville. (9:00 am - 8:00 pm)
• Visit the Hudgens Center for the Arts in Duluth to see the Members Best photography exhibit and the Drawings and Sculptures of Basil Watson. (10:00 am - 5:00 pm)
• The Budding Authors' Writing Club at the Grayson branch of the library is for teens and tweens to help boost ideas and creativity. (5:00 pm - 6:00 pm)

From my notebook:

• The Hampton Inn & Suites in Snellville with host the March meeting today at 11:30 a.m. for the Greater Eastside Chamber of Commerce. The guest speaker will be Shannon Davis, Esq. The Entrepreneur's Attorney. Shannon has 20 years of expertise in helping new business owners and entrepreneurs navigate the legalities of owning a business, trademarks, grants and funding, and more. The chamber hosts a monthly Business Connections Brunch throughout the year. Make sure to register at https://mygecc.org and check under events for the Getting R.E.A.L. event today and to take a look at future chamber events. (Facebook)
• An alert was issued Monday for residents in Spalding County. The failure of the dam at Heads Creek Reservoir is "imminent" and residents were warned to seek higher ground immediately. Chief Meteorologist Brad Nitz called it a "particularly dangerous situation." All residents in areas of West Ellis Road, Moon Road, and Highway 16 were asked to evacuate immediately. (WSBTV)
• A Covington-area blueberry farm, Deer Creek Farm, has been chosen as a finalist in UGA's Flavor of Georgia food product contest. The farm's Blue Harvest Tea will be competing in the Beverage category of the finals today at The Classic Center in Athens, selected as one of the top three beverages out of "124 products entered by 82 Georgia businesses." Deer Creek Farm is located off County Line Road and is open to the public, not only for picking blueberries, but also muscadines, figs, and other garden vegetables. The farm is owned and operated by Merlon Harper and her husband Joe. Harper is excited to be a finalist and have her "Blue Harvest Tea recognized and spotlighted." The award ceremony and reception will be open to the public, for the first time, this year, and attendees will get to enjoy sampling the best of the best before the winners are announced in each category. Visit Flavor of Georgia and register to attend the 2023 Flavor of Georgia Contest. (Monroe Local)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Tuesday morning. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with another update!