Two teens charged in connection with Austell homicide

Cobb County Police car

Two teens, 17 and 14, were arrested and charged with murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and possession of a pistol by a minor, in connection with a homicide that occurred Plantation Hill Road in Austell on Saturday.

According to a public information release from Officer Sydney Melton of the Cobb County Police Department, the 17-year-old was taken to Cobb County Adult Detention Center. The 14-year-old was transported to the youth detention center (YDC).

Background

A previous public information release from Cobb Police described the incident as follows:

The Cobb County Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons Unit is investigating a homicide that occurred in Precinct 2 on Saturday, November 2, 2019, at 12:16 a.m. at 100 Plantation Hill Road SE.

Per investigators, a victim with a gunshot wound was being driven to the hospital. The driver observed a Cobb County Police vehicle at the QuikTrip gas station located at 7130 Mableton Parkway. Contact was made with the officer and medical assistance was requested. EMS personnel responded to the location and transported the victim to Grady Hospital. The victim later died from his injuries.

The victim was identified as Roman Orlando Mejia-Nunez, 24, of Austell. His next of kin has been notified.

Investigators determined that the incident took place at a mobile home park on Plantation Hill Road.

Crimes Against Persons Unit

The Crimes Against Persons Division of the Cobb County Police Department is broken down into several specialized units, to investigate homicides, robberies, technology-based crime, domestic violence and stalking, and crimes against children. It has a unit that does crime analysis to identify evidence to help link cases and identify suspects.

The division also houses the Crime Scene Unit that according to the division’s website “is responsible for documenting and processing crime scenes to locate evidence, identify suspects, and to present evidence in criminal proceedings. Crime scene technicians are responsible for processing evidence utilizing a variety of procedures for fingerprint, DNA, and trace evidence.”