An Augusta man is being sought in Sunday’s shooting at the Circle K on Peach Orchard Road, an incident that made headlines after a sheriff’s candidate chased the suspect through town.
Quinderius Warthaw, 25, of Milledgeville Road, is being sought for two counts each of aggravated assault and weapon possession, according to authorities.
Warthaw is accused of shooting a 21-year-old man after an argument at the Hephzibah convenience store. A disagreement escalated in the parking lot when Warthaw allegedly pulled a gun and fired at the victim as he was trying to drive away.
The victim heard the gunshots and realized he had been struck in the back of his head. He drove himself to Doctors Hospital, where investigators interviewed him.
Sheriff’s challenger Bo Johnson heard the gunfire and saw the suspect try to flee and tried to block him in. While his wife dialed 911, Johnson pursued the suspect vehicle through the county but lost the car. But he provided crucial information that helped the case.
Johnson, a former RCSO deputy and federal air marshal, will appear on the ballot May 21 in the Democrat ballot. He is running against Sheriff Richard Roundtree and Sgt. Gino Brantley with the Marshal’s Office.
For his part, Warthaw was convicted of breaking into multiple vehicles as a teenager. He was given probation under the First Offender Act. In 2019, he was arrested again for an order to show cause in Superior Court.
