Georgia
3 inmates, including man charged with murder, escape from Georgia jail
New Orleans DA talks about prison inmates escape investigation
Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams talks about his investigation into how 10 inmates managed to escape a New Orleans jail.
Authorities are searching for three inmates, including one charged with murder, who escaped from a county jail east of Atlanta on Dec. 22.
The three inmates fled from the DeKalb County Jail early on Dec. 22, according to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. They were found missing during a routine security check, which prompted internal security teams to search the jail, the sheriff’s office said.
“We take this breach very seriously and are working diligently to ensure these individuals are safely returned to custody as quickly as possible,” DeKalb County Sheriff Melody M. Maddox said in a statement.
The sheriff’s office did not provide further details on how the inmates were able to escape from the jail, but said its fugitive unit and uniform patrol units were “actively searching” for the three men. Several local law enforcement agencies, along with the U.S. Marshals Service, are assisting in the search.
The sheriff’s office warned that the inmates might be armed and are considered dangerous. The agency said the public is “urged to exercise extreme caution and should not approach them,” adding that people with information regarding the men’s whereabouts are asked to contact authorities.
The DeKalb County Jail is located in Decatur, about 10 miles east of downtown Atlanta.
3 Georgia inmates facing multiple charges, including murder
The sheriff’s office said the three inmates were being held on multiple charges. The three men were identified as:
- Stevenson Charles, 24, is charged with murder and armed robbery.
- Yusuf Minor, 31, is charged with two counts of armed robbery and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
- Naod Yohannes, 25, is charged with simple assault, arson, and unlawful acts of violence in a penal institution.
The U.S. Marshals Service is mainly seeking the location of Charles, according to WSB-TV in Atlanta and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The agency described Charles as a violent fugitive, the television station reported.
The U.S. Marshals Service told WSB-TV that Charles has been “charged with, or convicted of, murder, aggravated assault, weapons violations, sodomy on a person less than 10 years old, kidnapping, carjacking, armed robbery and probation violations.”
In 2024, Charles pleaded guilty in Georgia to false imprisonment, aggravated sodomy, two counts of kidnapping, two counts of armed robbery, and two counts of aggravated assault, according to the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Before his guilty plea, the district attorney’s office said he was convicted in 2023 in a federal court in Florida for carjacking, kidnapping, and robbing five victims in Miami.
“Let the message go out to Mr. Charles and all other fugitives. We are looking for, and we will find you,” Thomas E. Brown, the U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Georgia, said in a statement, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Any person who violates the laws of the United States will not be allowed a moment of rest. You will never find peace. You will answer for your crimes.”
The U.S. Marshals Service did not respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment on Dec. 22.
Recent jailbreaks across the United States
The incident in Georgia is the latest jailbreak to occur in the United States this year. It also comes just weeks after another Georgia inmate escaped from custody at a hospital and used ride-hailing services, including an Uber ride, to evade sheriff’s deputies.
The inmate, identified as 52-year-old Timothy Shane, was captured after about three days in Covington, a small city located outside of Atlanta, authorities said.
On Dec. 19, authorities arrested the last of three inmates who escaped from a Louisiana jail in early December by removing mortar and concrete blocks from a degraded part of a wall.
In June, a former Arkansas police chief — convicted murderer and rapist Grant Hardin — was recaptured following a 12-day manhunt. Hardin had escaped from prison disguised as a guard and only made it over a mile away from the facility before he was found.
Earlier in the year, 10 inmates brazenly escaped from a New Orleans jail. Authorities previously said the inmates fled through a hole in a cell wall after ripping away a toilet and sink unit on the morning of May 16.
Most of the escapees were caught in the weeks after, and since then, multiple people have been charged with helping the inmates escape or stay on the run. The final inmate was recaptured on Oct. 8 in Atlanta, nearly five months after the escape.
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY
SCREVEN COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) – A parasite not seen in the United States since the 1960s is making a comeback, and Georgia cattle producers are watching closely.
The New World Screwworm has been confirmed in Texas and New Mexico, raising alarms across the South. The pest — eradicated in the U.S. more than 60 years ago and driven all the way to Panama — has been working its way back north through Mexico.
Screven County cattle producer Lindy Sheppard says he learned about screwworm in agriculture college and heard stories from his father, who dealt with the parasite in the 1950s and ’60s.
“I never thought I would have to deal with it,” said Sheppard.
Now, with confirmed cases edging closer to Georgia, Sheppard isn’t so sure.
“We hope they keep it on that side of the Mississippi River,” he said. “We don’t want it over here.”
How screwworm spreads
The New World Screwworm spreads through flies whose larvae burrow into the open wounds of living animals. Livestock, horses, pets and wildlife are all at risk. Newborn cattle are especially vulnerable; their exposed navel cords provide an entry point for flies.
Sheppard says calving season, which begins as early as late August in Georgia, is his biggest concern.
“When we start calving in late August, September, because the navel cords are so exposed. That’s a red flag in my mind that it could be a real problem when we start calving this fall,” he said.
Georgia’s response
The Georgia Department of Agriculture is already taking action. Officials are monitoring livestock movement into and out of the state around the clock and have prepared traps ready to deploy if needed.
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said the state is stepping up protocol checks on all animals entering Georgia.
Sheppard says he is confident in the state’s leadership.
“We’ve got Tyler Harper, our commissioner of agriculture. He’s all over it,” Sheppard said. “I feel like they’re doing everything they can. I really do.”
Economic concerns
The screwworm threat comes as Georgia’s cattle industry is already under significant pressure. Rising costs, shrinking profit margins, dwindling access to markets and an aging workforce have pushed many farmers to the brink.
Sheppard, 65, notes the average age of a cattle farmer is 58, and says screwworm could be the breaking point for some.
“We’re losing cattle in this state anyway, so that may accelerate it,” he said. “It might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, it sure might. It makes them go ahead and sell all of the cattle.”
The USDA has allocated $100 million toward screwworm eradication efforts. In South Texas, federal officials are already releasing sterile flies, the same method used to eradicate the parasite in the 1960s.
Food supply not at risk
Despite the growing concern, both Sheppard and state officials say the food supply is not in danger.
“It does not affect the food supply,” Sheppard said. “The quality of the food has nothing to do with it… it only really affects those of us here producing it. And we just have to manage it the best we can.”
What to do if you suspect screwworm
The Georgia Department of Agriculture is urging farmers and pet owners to report any signs of screwworm immediately, including unusual wounds, maggots or strange behavior in livestock or animals.
To report a suspected case, contact the Office of the State Veterinarian:
- Phone: 404-656-3667
- Email: AnimalHealth@agr.georgia.gov
Copyright 2026 WTOC. All rights reserved.
PERRY, Ga. (WALB) — The Georgia National Fair announced ticket pricing changes for 2026 in a Facebook post.
Children ages 3-10 will now require a $5 admission ticket.
Adult tickets purchased with cash at the entry gate will cost $20, excluding discounted admission days. Adults paying with a card at the gate will pay $15.
All online transactions will include a processing fee.
Discounted admission days will be $10 for everyone. Seniors 60 and up are $10 every day.
For more ticket information and fair dates, visit https://www.georgianationalfair.com/p/getconnected/pricing.
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Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.
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