On Friday, October 30, 2026, just before 11:30 p.m., a Hart County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to the end of Jim Heard Road in reference to vehicles parked in the roadway.
Upon arrival, the deputy observed multiple vehicles parked along both sides of the roadway and could hear dogs barking and growling from a wooded area nearby.
As the deputy walked up a drive leading into the wooded area, he discovered multiple additional vehicles. The deputy observed dog crates in the back of some of the vehicles, several of which appeared to have blood on them.
While walking up the path, the deputy encountered three males. Upon seeing the deputy, the individuals turned and attempted to flee.
The deputy was able to take one male into custody while numerous other individuals fled on foot into the surrounding woods.
Additional law enforcement units responded to assist, including deputies from the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and an agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office.
The Hart County Sheriff’s Office deployed its drone to assist in locating the fleeing individuals. With the assistance of three K9 units and two drones, 20 individuals were located hiding in the surrounding woods and a nearby field.
Four additional individuals who arrived at the scene were determined to be connected to the operation and were also arrested. Two more individuals were located walking along a nearby roadway and were determined to be involved.
A total of 26 individuals were arrested and charged with Dogfighting and Cruelty to Animals.
During the investigation, 26 vehicles were towed from the scene, multiple dogs and firearms were seized, and large amounts of cash were recovered and seized as evidence.
INDIVIDUALS ARRESTED
1. Tazmorronta Hollowell
Age: 52 | Lauderdale Lakes, FL
2. Edick Wellington Thomas
Age: 52 | Clewiston, FL
3. Ronald Kamel Wiggins
Age: 46 | Jackson, MS
4. Cory Lavon Edwards
Age: 50 | Pontiac, MI
5. Kristi Lakiah Watkins
Age: 37 | Jackson, MS
6. Donnell Lamar Slade
Age: 51 | Columbia, SC
7. Patrick Oneal Heard
Age: 48 | Elberton, GA
8. Curtis Franklin
Age: 45 | Rochester, NY
9. Gregory Jermaine McCallun
Age: 47 | Jackson, MS
10. Jerell Dejaun Summers
Age: 34 | Orangeburg, SC
11. Tina Monique Adams
Age: 46 | Lancaster, TX
12. Jarrod Christopher Middleton
Age: 41 | Jackson, MS
13. Rodriguez Deangelo Bell
Age: 43 | McDonough, GA
14. Eddrick Deewayne Twitty
Age: 46 | Blackwood, SC
15. Keith Montel Skinner
Age: 33 | Kosciusko, MS
16. Ronald Greg Cunningham
Age: 55 | Bowman, GA
17. Terrance Franklin Davis
Age: 48 | Dothan, AL
18. Cedric Lashawn Kyle
Age: 53 | Jackson, MS
19. Jahim Brown
Age: 23 | Lexington, MS
20. Dwight Eric Pinellas
Age: 29 | Kissimmee, FL
21. Monty Henry
Age: 33 | Washington, DC
22. Jonathan C. Primus
Age: 35 | Charleston, WV
23. Charles Jamaruez Wilson
Age: 38 | Sallis, MS
24. Deandre Lindell Upchurch
Age: 45 | Flint, MI
25. Raymond Elusta Richo
Age: 55 | Jacksonville, FL
26. Glenn Everett Zebbs
Age: 50 | Westminster, SC
One of those suspects, 48-year-old Patrick Heard from Elberton, was arrested in April, 2024 for dogfighting near Columbia, SC. In that case, Heard was one of 13 men involved in the dogfighting ring who were arrested at the scene.
The suspects in the Hart Couny case are being charged with dogfighting and cruelty to animals, Carroll said. And more charges could be pending.
Three of the suspects came from Georgia. The rest came from states as far away as New York and Michigan.
Carroll told WLHR News investigators are working on how they came to hold the dogfight on the property on Jim Heard Road, who owns the property, and who the ringleader of the dogfighting ring is.
“Dogfighting is a cruel and inhumane activity that has no place in Hart County or anywhere else,” Carroll said.
Sheriff Carroll said 8 dogs were found alive and were taken to Hart County Animal Control. He said they are being evaluated for their injuries. He said they also found multiple dead dogs.
He said that what started as a deputy responding to vehicles parked in the roadway led to the discovery of a large dogfighting operation involving individuals from multiple states.
“I am extremely proud of our deputies for their quick actions and outstanding work in locating and apprehending these individuals,” he said. “I also want to personally thank the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the GBI for their assistance.”
In Georgia, a person convicted of violating any part of the dogfighting statute will be guilty of a felony. Upon a first conviction, the penalty is a fine of at least $5,000, a prison term between one and five years, or both.
A second or subsequent conviction is punishable by a prison term between one and ten years, a fine of no less than $15,000, or both.
This investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming.— in Hart County, Georgia.