In the wake of Anthony Stokes' death, some records of his criminal activity have been made public by the DeKalb County police. At the time of his heart transplant in 2013, he was still a minor and, in general, such criminal records involving minors are not made public.
Dec. 17, 2012: Arrested in DeKalb for burglary. Police say that Stokes, 14 at the time, and several other teenagers were caught in an abandoned house. When police arrived they heard sounds "like people knocking down walls."
April 13, 2013: Arrested in DeKalb for theft by receiving and possession of a weapon. Stokes was with two other teenagers who witnesses say fired "four or five" shots out of an SUV. When police caught them, they found two guns reported stolen out of California. In the narrative, police identified Stokes and being wanted for second degree arson.
Aug. 11, 2013: Stokes' mother Melencia Hamilton reveals publicly that her son has dilated cardiomyopathy, in which the heart's main pumping chamber, the left ventricle, fails to pump enough blood. She says that based on Stokes' past behavior, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston refused to give him a transplant. At the time, Hamilton said, "It just seems like they decided he's a troublemaker, and that's not true."
Aug. 13, 2013: The hospital agrees to put Stokes on the donor list for a new heart.
Aug. 21, 2013: Stokes gets a new heart in a five-hour transplant surgery.
Oct. 3, 2013: In an interview with Jovita Moore of Channel 2 Action News, Stokes said he had gotten into trouble after some fights at school. He said he had forgiven the hospital for judging him, "Because God, he like, said forgive."
Feb. 3, 2014: DeKalb police arrested Stokes at Stonecrest Mall for shoplifting and possession of a gun. Police say Stokes stole a 3-pack of $41 underwear. When he was searched, Stokes had a gun in a hole cut into his jacket. The gun was reported to have been stolen from a November, 2012 incident.
Nov. 8, 2014: Arrested in DeKalb for stealing a car, possession of a firearm and making terroristic threats. Police say Stokes stole a blue Chevy Silverado and arrested him without incident after spotting the truck and following him. When police searched the car, they found a handgun under each front seat and screwdriver. According to the police report, when the owner of the car arrived, a 53-year-old woman, Stokes "became completely irate and threatened to come get her after he gets out of jail. Then he made noises like gun fire." Stokes was wearing an ankle bracelet.
Nov. 20, 2014: Stokes turns 17.
Jan. 10, 2015: He was arrested by DeKalb County Police in the Wal-Mart parking lot on Gresham Road for attempting to steal a 1999 blue Ford Ranger and for possession of tools for the commission of a crime. An officer caught Stokes inside the Ranger attempting to hotwire it. He had used a screwdriver to pop the lock on the passenger side window of the truck.
Feb. 3, 2015: Stokes was released from jail after posting $5,000 bond, records showed.
March 30, 2015: Stokes died after fleeing police following a carjacking and a burglary. In the burglary, an elderly Roswell woman said Stokes shot at her after he kicked in her home's door and found her inside watching television. Stokes clipped a car in the intersection and then jumped the curb and hit a pedestrian before colliding with a SunTrust Bank sign. He died at the scene.
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