4 Charged In Cobb Drug Search That Escalated To Gunfire

AUSTELL, GA — A man was accused of shooting at officers executing a narcotics search warrant Thursday at an Austell home.

When some suspects fled the scene, the Cobb County Sheriff's Office on Friday said Jose Vidali Cruz-Azanza shot multiple times at authorities.

Officers then returned fire, and Cruz-Azanza went back into the home, authorities said. No one was injured, authorities said.

During the search, authorities said they recovered 8.55 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine, 1.7 grams of cocaine and 5 grams of marijuana, authorities said. Four guns were confiscated from the home, authorities said.

At some point, Yosili Lurisa Diaz, Cruz-Azanza, Naymar Ventura Hererra and Jose Resendez Zurita were arrested on charges of violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act for trafficking methamphetamine, possession of cocaine and possession of marijuana less than 1 ounce, authorities said.

Cruz-Azanza was also arrested on three counts of aggravated assault on an officer and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, authorities said.

Diza and Zurita additionally face charges of obstruction/hindering law enforcement, authorities said.

“I am thankful no deputies or officers were injured while removing this lethal amount of meth from our community,” Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens said in a news release. “If you traffic drugs into Cobb County, our (Marietta-Cobb-Smyrna) unit will find you, and you will face justice. These drugs, particularly meth, have destroyed too many individuals and families.”

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