New charges were announced Wednesday night against a DeKalb man accused of using stolen assault rifle to shoot and kill three people, including a toddler, in the neighborhood he grew up in.
Ronald Clemons, 24, was arrested Wednesday in the death of 3-year-old Janiyha Daniels, Grover Strickland, 39, and Michael Thomas.
In a first court appearance hearing Wednesday night, DeKalb County Magistrate Judge Robert N. Leitch announced that in addition to multiple counts of murder, aggravated assault and weapons possession charges, Clemons was accused of felony armed robbery at a Decatur gas station hours before the shooting.
Leitch said Clemons was involved in a robbery of three men in the 3100 block of Memorial Drive, taking money and cell phones at gunpoint.
“Somebody identified you as one of the robbers,” Leitch told Clemons during the hearing.
Clemons’ father, Ronald Clemons Sr., was on hand as police escorted the younger Clemons away from court in shackles and an orange prison jumpsuit.
Robert Clemons Sr. said he didn’t believe his son was guilty of murder or armed robbery.
“That’s completely out of character for my son,” the older Clemons said, adding his son grew up in the Monterey Drive area. “I told him to quit hanging around those people. They’re telling lies on him.”
Ronald Clemons Sr., a truck driver, planned to arrive home Friday from Houston to go fishing with his son. But he said he hurriedly drove back to Georgia when he learned of his son's arrest.
"I just got in 30 minutes ago," the elder Clemons told Leitch at the Wednesday-night hearing. "I've been traveling for hours."
The younger Clemons was at a house in the 2800 block of Monterey around 1:50 a.m. Tuesday when an argument broke out, police said.
"There was a dispute," DeKalb County Police spokesman Officer Jason Gagnon said. "He left and came back with a weapon."
The weapon was a stolen Bushmaster Carbon 15 .223-caliber assault rifle, according to arrest records.
Clemons opened fire, striking three adults and a 3-year-old, police said. Two of the adults and the toddler died. Vickie Elaine Tucker was treated at the hospital and released.
On Wednesday, police arrested Clemons on 11 charges, including three counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault.
He is also charged with three counts of armed robbery, theft by receiving the stolen rifle, and violating his probation.
Clemons was out of prison and on probation for a 2006 aggravated assault conviction when the Tuesday killings occurred. He and three other men were charged with shooting a 43-year-old woman in 2004.
The 2004 shooting occurred on the same street as the Tuesday killings -- Monterey Drive, which is located south of Memorial Drive behind Belvedere Plaza. The woman died, but prosecutors offered the four men plea deals. Each defendant had their charges lowered, according to court records.
Clemons was sentenced three years for aggravated assault. In July 2008, he was released on probation, corrections records show.
Ronald Clemons Sr. said his son’s troubles stemmed from the friends who lived in the Monterey Drive home.
“Those are the same people he got into trouble with before,” the senior Clemons said. “I told them to quit hanging around those people.”
Judge Leitch said a bond hearing will be held later in Superior Court. Clemons is being held in the DeKalb County jail, and his next court appearance is in October.
Ronald Clemons Sr. promised to help his son.
“I won’t let him go out like that,” the father said. “If I’ve got to spend every dime I have, I’m going to find out what really happened.
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