Three teenagers from Valdosta and one from Brooks County were arrested following a prank at a motel that involved handguns.
Release:
Offender(s): 1. Latroye Irvin, African American male, 17 years of age, Valdosta resident
2. Javant Calton, African American male, 17 years of age, Valdosta resident
3. Akeria Anderson, African American female, 19 years of age, Brooks County resident
4. Skylor Thomas, African American female, 17 years of age, Valdosta resident
On January 7, 2022, at approximately 6:30 pm., Valdosta Police Officers responded to a motel in the 2100 block of West Hill Avenue, after a citizen called E911 to report that they had observed a possible armed robbery. The citizen stated that two males were observed pointing handguns at two females and they forced the females into a motel room. When officers arrived on the scene, officers responded to the room while another officer watched video surveillance from the motel. The surveillance video showed two males, later identified as Javant Calton and Latroye Irvin, standing in front of their motel room pointing handguns in different directions. Then as a vehicle pulled up to the motel, both males pointed their handguns at the vehicle. The officer observed the two females go into the motel room while handguns were being pointed at them.
Officers entered the motel room and found Irvin, Calton, Akeria Anderson, and Skylor Thomas, along with another 19-year-old female. Officers also recovered two handguns that were hidden under a mattress.
Through investigation, all of the subjects stated that they were just playing around and no robbery had occurred.
Irvin was arrested for possession of a firearm under first offender (felony), reckless conduct (misdemeanor), and he had an active arrest warrant. Calton was arrested for reckless conduct (misdemeanor). Anderson and Thomas were both arrested for active arrest warrants through the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office. All four were transported to Lowndes County Jail without incident. Further charges may be pending.
“This incident is very disturbing that teenagers think it is a joke to point handguns at each other. We are extremely lucky that no one was injured during this incident. Handguns are not toys and should not be treated as such. I am glad our officers were able to get these handguns off the street and out of the hands of these teenagers.” Chief Leslie Manahan
