A dog off its leash at a Marietta apartment complex turned into a full-blown confrontation Monday, when police say a Cobb County man pulled a loaded handgun and a round landed at the feet of a teenager. Investigators identified the suspect as Jose Fernando Garcia and say he was taken into custody on aggravated assault and child cruelty charges after the incident at the Amber Grove apartments.
Family: Video Shows Gun Aimed Toward Kids And Parents
Relatives at the scene recorded the clash and told reporters they were terrified as the argument escalated. Samuel Escalante said his siblings, two young children, and a teenager were among those caught in the middle of the dispute over the loose dog.
“It escalated into something that could've cost somebody else's life,” Escalante said, describing the tense moments as the confrontation played out, according to WSB-TV.
Police: Loaded Gun, Round Drops At Teen’s Feet
Cobb County officer Robert Santiago told investigators the gun was already loaded when Garcia stepped out of his apartment, WSB-TV reports. One round fell at the feet of a 14-year-old during the encounter, authorities said.
Police say Garcia “keeps charging toward the family, moving forward with a firearm in hand” and “racks and chambers a round” before officers intervened. According to the station’s report, officers stopped him as he tried to drive away and took him into custody on aggravated assault and child cruelty counts.
Charges And Legal Stakes Under Georgia Law
Authorities booked Garcia on aggravated assault and cruelty to children, both serious felonies under Georgia law. Aggravated assault, which includes assaults with a deadly weapon, generally carries a prison term of one to twenty years, according to Georgia’s aggravated assault statute, OCGA 16-5-21, as published by Justia.
Cruelty to children covers conduct that causes or allows a child to experience or be placed at risk of cruel or excessive physical or mental pain. Degrees of the offense and associated penalties are set out in OCGA 16-5-70, according to Justia.
Neighbors Shaken; Public Records Still Sparse
Neighbors and family members said they were rattled by how quickly a dispute over a loose dog escalated into a gun being drawn, and expressed relief that officers moved in when they did.
At the time of publication, the WSB-TV report remains the primary public account of the case. Searches of other local news outlets, Cobb County online resources, and court dockets did not immediately turn up a separate press release, booking record, or hearing date with additional details.
