Crime

Suspect in recent murder of Macon teen was out of jail on bond in 2018 homicide

One of the two men sought in last week’s shooting death of a teenage boy in southwest Macon is already facing murder charges in a 2018 slaying.

On Sunday night, in the wake of Wednesday’s slaying of 16-year-old Ahmori Searcy in a parking lot at Majestic Gardens apartments, Bibb County sheriff’s officials asked for the public’s help in finding a pair of suspects.

The wanted men, sought on murder charges, were identified in a sheriff’s statement as Vernon Deshawn Grable, 21, and Zontravion Keontae Hernandez, 20.

In August 2018, Hernandez was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and felony murder in the Macon shooting death of 18-year-old DaKwaun Tyre Faulks.

The charges against Hernandez in Faulks’ slaying are pending.

Police at the time of Faulks’ death said Faulks and another teen had argued with Hernandez and that the clash led to a fatal exchange of gunfire.

Hernandez had been in the Bibb jail since late August 2018.

On Sept. 3 of last year, a judge set bond for Hernandez at $75,000, an action not unheard of in a case where an accused person has been incarcerated for two years.

Hernandez posted bond Sept. 25.

Joe Kovac Jr.
The Telegraph
Joe Kovac Jr. writes about local news and features for The Telegraph, with an eye for human-interest stories. Joe is a Warner Robins native and graduate of Warner Robins High. He joined the Telegraph in 1991 after graduating from the University of Georgia. As a Pulliam Fellowship recipient in 1991, Joe worked for the Indianapolis News. His stories have appeared in the Washington Post, the Seattle Times and Atlanta Magazine. He has been a Livingston Award finalist and won numerous Georgia Press Association and Georgia Associated Press awards.
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