Carlos Figueroa, the leading suspect in the March 18 murder of his brother-in-law Alan Newsome, was extradited Tuesday from Florida to Augusta.
The 29-year-old gang leader was caught April 1 in Pinellas County, Fla. with the help of the U.S. Marshal’s Southeast Regional Task Force. His Richmond County photo shows a slimmed-down suspect who is more clean-shaven, minus the usual mustache or beards from previous mugshots.
Figueroa is being held without bond for murder. He is brother-in-law to the victim and brother to Richmond County Deputy Nadia Newsome, who married Alan Newsome in September 2021.
The suspect has several previous arrests in Richmond County marked by at least five arrests for charges ranging from domestic violence to his indictment for street gang activity and violating the Racketeer Influences and Corrupt Organization Act and street gang terrorism.
In 2017, his wife told authorities that Figueroa grabbed her left arm and bit her in the upper left arm. “Figueroa then started punching her with a closed fist in the head and her body,” the report says. That charge is still pending in Richmond County, according to online records.
In 2019, the same woman told authorities that the couple were arguing about ranch dressing and chicken when Figueroa “pushed her down and dragged her through the yard.” An officer observed scrapes and scratches to the wife’s back and legs. Both were charged in that fight. That charge against Figueroa is also still pending without resolution.
Figueroa, also known as “Los,” was indicted in the 2019 bust of the Rolling 60′s Criminal Street Gang in Augusta when prosecutors identified him as a leader. An indictment says “The Gang Unit learned that the South Coast Rollins 60s Neighborhood Crips of Augusta were being led by Carlos Figueroa because of Terrall Keith stepping down after an aggravated assault.” One of two factions he led – the “Uptown” group – was connected to car theft, robberies, drive by shootings and several aggravated assaults, the indictment says.
In May 2021, the Augusta District Attorney’s Office dismissed Figueroa’s gang charges. District Attorney Jared Williams has declined comment on the dismissal.
Three teenage co-defendants have already been arrested in the shooting death of Newsome at the Rosetown Trailer Park. Brentin Coleman, 19, T’zaiah La’Tonia Dukes, 17, and Ortegas Dwayne Jones, 17, are in custody on murder charges.
An arrest warrant says the suspects struck Newsome in the head twice with an unknown blunt object and finally shot him in the head. According to 911 calls, Nadia Newsome was called by Figueroa to come over to Ulm Road because of the altercation. When she arrived, she found Newsome dead in the street.
Greg Rickabaugh is the Jail Report contributor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at [email protected]
This failure of the Augusta judicial system gives new meaning to “He went to Jared’s©.” (Apologies to TAP moderator and Jared’s Jewelry.)