The mother of a man killed by his alleged boyfriend in April 2019 is suing the owner of her son’s Dunwoody apartment complex, saying owners failed to address security concerns after an increase in crime in the area.
James Curtis Jones, 45, was shot to death in the parking deck at Arrive Perimeter Apartments, at 2000 Asbury Square, the morning of April 8, 2019, according to DeKalb County police. DeKalb police identified teacher Roy McClendon-Thompson as the suspect, and investigators believed the two were dating at the time.
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The wrongful death lawsuit was filed on behalf of Ruth Wilson, as Jones’ mother and executor of his estate, against foreign limited liability company FPACP3 Ashford, LLC, which owns Arrive Perimeter apartments. The lawsuit, filed in DeKalb County State Court, seeks damages as well as an admission of fault in Jones’ death.
According to the lawsuit, officials at Arrive Perimeter failed to alert residents or increase security measures after being made aware that criminal activity had increased at and around the complex.
Credit: WSB-TV WSB-TV
Credit: WSB-TV WSB-TV
“Those responsible for protecting residents and maintaining a safe environment entirely failed to do so, resulting in James Curtis Jones’ tragic and untimely death,” attorneys John Morgan and Nigel Phiri, representing Wilson, said in a statement. “Despite knowing that there had been an increase in criminal activity in and around the apartment complex, we allege the defendants negligently failed to provide adequate security for their tenants, including failing to vet visitors entering the property. We believe this tragedy was preventable if the property implemented and followed necessary policies and protocols to ensure a safe environment at the Arrive Perimeter Apartments.”
A person who answered the phone at Arrive Perimeter declined to comment on the lawsuit. Complex management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Police said McClendon-Thompson, who was married, began dating Jones after meeting him online. But in the weeks leading up to the fatal shooting, McClendon-Thompson had learned Jones was cheating on him, police said.
Two days before he was killed, Jones told a Dunwoody officer that McClendon-Thompson had threatened him, and the men were told to end communication. But Jones allegedly still emailed McClendon-Thompson, although Jones declined to show the emails to police.
Investigators quickly identified 42-year-old McClendon-Thompson as the suspect after Jones was found dead around 5:20 a.m., police said. He had been shot in the chest.
Hours later, McClendon-Thompson led police on a high-speed chase from his Ellenwood home through Clayton County, where he died after a head-on collision with another vehicle.
