A 37-year-old Augusta man is in custody after allegedly breaking into his estranged partner’s home, threatening her with a firearm in front of their children, and fleeing the scene before law enforcement arrived.
The incident occurred around 6:21 p.m. Sunday at a residence on Old Barton Chapel Road. According to responding deputies, the suspect, Damon Jay Stewart Jr., who had moved out of the home two months prior, showed up unannounced. He reportedly removed the doorbell camera, then entered the house by unlocking and climbing through a window on the side of the residence.
Inside, Stewart confronted his former partner as she exited her bedroom and encountered him in the living room, where her two daughters (ages 6 and 13) were sitting on the couch. According to the sheriff’s report, Stewart pushed her onto the couch, pulled a black handgun from his waistband, and pointed it at her while shouting, “You got me locked out of my place and got the place all cleaned up.”
The woman was on the phone with 911 when Stewart noticed and immediately fled through the front door. He was last seen driving a red Dodge Ram truck with a blue “Larry’s Auto Sales” temporary tag, heading toward Old McDuffie Road.
Deputies responded quickly, and the case was turned over to Investigator Walker, who secured warrants for Stewart’s arrest. He was wanted on multiple felony charges, including terroristic threats and acts, false imprisonment, cruelty to children (2 counts), and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
On Monday, Stewart was located, taken into custody without further incident, and booked into the Charles B. Webster Detention Center.
No injuries were reported, and the investigation remains ongoing.
