14-year-old to be charged as an adult after multiple incidents, Jones sheriff’s office says

A 14-year-old boy arrested and charged as an adult in a recent Jones County shooting has had multiple run-ins with authorities so far this year.

Deputies with the Jones County Sheriff’s Office arrested the teenager on June 26, according to a news release shared on Facebook.

The juvenile, whose name was not disclosed, was charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault and two counts of theft by taking after investigators determined he stole two firearms from a safe inside his home prior to the shooting, the sheriff’s office said.

“Due to the severity of the offenses, he will be prosecuted as an adult,” the news release said.

The boy remains in the custody of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice pending further court proceedings.

The sheriff’s office told The Telegraph the minor’s name was not disclosed due to his age, despite facing adult charges.

A string of prior incidents

Investigators said the June 26 incident followed a string of prior contacts with law enforcement.

On June 25, one day before the shooting, deputies responded to a dispute at the juvenile’s residence in which he allegedly broke multiple windows and caused significant damage to the home.

At the time, the minor was referred to the Department of Juvenile Justice, but he did not meet state detention assessment guidelines, according to the sheriff’s office.

In May, deputies also responded to two separate incidents involving the same juvenile. Charges from those incidents included simple battery, terroristic threats involving family members and electronically furnishing obscene materials to a minor.

The Jones County Sheriff’s Office said juvenile detention decisions are made under state guidelines and assessment tools that determine eligibility for secure detention, and are not made solely by responding deputies.

“Sheriff’s Office personnel are often asked why repeat juvenile offenders are not detained following previous incidents,” the agency wrote in the Facebook post. “In many cases, detention decisions are governed by state guidelines and assessment tools that determine whether a juvenile qualifies for secure detention. Those decisions are not made solely by responding deputies or the Sheriff’s Office.”

This story may be updated as more information becomes available.