A vehicle with an infant inside was sprayed with gunfire early Saturday morning, triggering an investigation that led to the arrest of a convicted felon armed with a fully automatic handgun and large quantities of dangerous narcotics.
At approximately 12:39 a.m. Saturday, Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies responded to Reese Avenue after receiving a report that a vehicle had been shot multiple times. The occupants told deputies the shooting followed a verbal altercation with individuals at a store on Peach Orchard Road. While driving home, they said, the occupants of the silver car opened fire on their vehicle near the intersection of Peach Orchard Road and Woodward Avenue.
An infant was in the vehicle during the shooting, but no injuries were reported.
Deputies recovered shell casings, and surveillance footage helped investigators identify the suspect vehicle. Just after 4:45 p.m. Saturday, Deputy Nicholas Boyd located the suspect vehicle on Bahama Drive. A traffic stop was initiated, and both the driver and a passenger were detained, a press release said.
The driver, identified as 28-year-old Rodriquez Brown, was found to be in possession of a handgun that had been illegally modified with a Glock switch conversion device, enabling it to fire automatically. Deputies also discovered fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, a digital scale, and a large amount of cash and cellphones
Brown, a convicted felon, admitted to owning the firearm and the narcotics. He resisted arrest but was ultimately taken into custody. Authorities seized the firearm, drugs, vehicle, and other evidence.
He now faces multiple felony charges, including trafficking fentanyl, possession of cocaine and marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a machine gun, and obstruction of law enforcement. Additional charges are pending.
This is not Brown’s first encounter with law enforcement.
Brown was arrested on Feb. 8, 2016, on Herlen Street in Augusta after deputies responded to a call about a suspicious person loitering in the area. When approached by Deputy Kyle Gould, Brown attempted to conceal his hands and was found to smell strongly of marijuana. After consenting to a search, Brown was found carrying a purple Crown Royal bag in his overalls, which contained two plastic bags of marijuana totaling more than 33 grams. Further search revealed another bag containing 2.8 grams of crack cocaine, an additional small quantity of marijuana, and a digital scale with visible drug residue.
Brown was arrested and later convicted of felony possession of marijuana and cocaine with intent to distribute. He was sentenced to eight years of probation.
He was later convicted of burglary in 2017 and sentenced to two years in prison.
Sheriff Gino Brantley issued a press release following Saturday’s arrest, emphasizing that the Sheriff’s Office remains committed to removing violent and repeat offenders from the community. He commended the work of deputies and investigators and stressed that those who endanger deputies or the public will be held accountable.
