Hours after allegedly shooting three people, killing a mother and son, a northwest Georgia man drove to Norcross to kidnap his ex-girlfriend and drive her to Alabama at gunpoint, authorities said.
Steven James Mauldin, 38, of Bremen, was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Coweta County. He’ll face charges in at least two jurisdictions, Chattooga County Sheriff Mark Schrader told AJC.com.
The man’s alleged violent crime spree began just before 8 a.m. Tuesday. Chattooga deputies responded to a home on Ga. 100 near the Floyd County line to find three people who had been shot, AJC.com previously reported.
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Joe Edward Brown, 35, and Linda Mae Everett, 61, died as a result of the shooting, and 46-year-old Daryl Lee Marsh was hospitalized, the sheriff’s office said. Schrader said Everett was Brown’s mother.
Marsh's condition remains unknown, but the Summerville News reported he was still fighting for his life as of Wednesday afternoon.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Mauldin fled the scene of the shooting in a silver 2003 Honda Civic and drove to Gwinnett County, where his ex-girlfriend got into his car willingly, Schrader said. However, she tried to get out at some point, and Mauldin allegedly pointed a pistol at her and wouldn’t let her leave.
The two spent Tuesday night at a Super 8 in Moody, Ala., where the ex-girlfriend was able to tip off staff that she had been kidnapped, Schrader said. Mauldin then left the hotel.
He was spotted about 1 p.m. Wednesday on I-85 in Coweta County, Schrader said. Deputies tried to pull him over, which led to a brief chase that ended with Georgia State Patrol troopers taking him into custody.
Mauldin was known to police and has been in the Chattooga County jail several times in recent years, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Schrader said he’ll be charged with two counts of murder, one count of aggravated assault, theft by taking and felony firearm possession in his county. Norcross police also have obtained warrants related to the kidnapping, and he’ll likely face charges in Alabama, the sheriff said.
“I would like to personally thank each officer and employee from my office and others as well as the agencies that assisted or offered their assistance,” the sheriff said in an email.
The agencies that assisted included police departments in Adairsville, Clayton County, Floyd County, Moody, Ala., Norcross, Summerville and Trion in addition to sheriff’s offices in Cherokee County, Ala., Coweta County, Gordon County and Walker County. The Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Department of Corrections and GBI also contributed to the investigation and manhunt.
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