One cleared, four indicted for molestation





The Superior Court grand jury cleared a Waynesboro man accused of child molestation, but found enough evidence to indict four others.

During their November session, the jury’s sole “no bill” was returned on Gregory Lynn Baker Sr. who was arrested in September for child molestation and simple battery.

The 37-year-old Timberwood resident had been accused of fondling a 15-year-old in 2005, but the jury found insufficient evidence to move forward with the charge.

That was not the case with four others, including Leroy Orlando Williams, 29, who was arrested for child molestation in October after DNA evidence revealed he impregnated a 15-year-old in 2004.

Troy Terrell Jenkins was indicted on an August 2004 charge of child molestation that arose after he was accused of fondling a 12-year-old.

Jeffery Brown was indicted on a charge of child molestation dating back to Aug. 2004, as was Kevin Windham from a June 2006 allegation.

A Midville teen who held his former girlfriend at knifepoint for six hours was indicted on 19 charges.

Ryan Edward Pernack, 19, was taken into custody Oct. 11 following a nightlong standoff in which he allegedly held a knife to the 16-year-old victim’s throat, raped her and threatened to kill her.

According to the original incident report, Pernack also held the victim’s 5-year-old sister hostage for several hours.

The standoff ended when a SWAT team lured him to an open window and shot him with beanbag bullets.

The grand jury found enough evidence to indict Pernack on numerous charges, including false imprisonment, rape, aggravated assault and kidnapping.

Four local men were “re-indicted” for murdering an Athens resident and leaving his body outside a vacant home in Augusta.

During last month’s grand jury session, Michael Craig Fields, Anthony Herrington, Michael Bernard Jones and Michael Thomas were each indicted for two counts of murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to District Attorney Danny Craig, the evidence was presented to the grand jury a second time because an incorrect date was provided in the previous hearing.

All four men were re-indicted for all four charges.

The grand jury indicted 25 others on felony charges, including:

 Cedric Abrams: three counts of armed robbery and three counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

 Anthony Lamar Brown: theft by receiving stolen property and theft by taking;

 Willie George Clay: aggravated assault;

 Ike Cunningham: criminal damage to property in the second degree;

 Jerome Larry Dukes: theft by taking;

 Jennifer Hall: forgery in the first degree (six counts);

 Lenwood Heath Jr.: aggravated assault;

 Tabitha Denise Heath: aggravated assault;

 Jacqueline Denise Holmes: obstruction of a law enforcement officer;

 Antonio Dwayne Hopkins: burglary and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon;

 Ricardo Vondeze Webb: burglary;

 Rhonda James: forgery in the first degree (two counts);

 Richard Jones: aggravated assault;

 Ronald Edward Lovett: trafficking in methamphetamine, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon;

 Henry McGee: aggravated assault (two counts), possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime (two counts), possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and terroristic threats;

 Jeffery Bertram Miles: burglary, aggravated assault, kidnapping, theft by taking and criminal trespass;

 Harold Roy Miller: aggravated assault (four counts), possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime (two counts) and cruelty to children in the second degree;

 William Lawson Oglesby: aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, simple battery (Family Violence Act) and possession of a firearm by a first offender probationer;

 John Wesley Crawford: theft by taking (two counts);

 John Henry Owens: theft by taking (two counts);

 Bobby Peterson: entering an auto and obstruction of a law enforcement officer;

 Patrick Lamar Roberson: burglary;

 Benjamin Philip Smith: possession of cocaine and violation of the open container law;

 Michael Turner: aggravated assault; and

 Anna Marie Perdichizzi: possession of methamphetamine and possession of marijuana.


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