VALDOSTA – A 50-year-old Valdosta resident has been arrested and charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault and more.

Release:

Arrested: Jamie Heath, African American male 50 years of age, Valdosta resident

On November 16, 2023, at approximately 10:05 pm., Valdosta Police Officers responded to the 600 block of East Brookwood Drive after a citizen called 911 and reported that she needed help. When officers arrived, a female victim reported that Jamie Heath, 50 years of age, had forced her into her vehicle at gunpoint and made her drive to his residence while he was threatening her. When she got to his residence, she was able to call 911. According to the victim, as officers were arriving, Heath ran from the vehicle. Officers searched the area and could not find him.

November 18, 2023, at approximately 4:30 pm., the same victim called 911 to report that Heath had come to her residence while she was not there. She reported that Heath had taken her doorbell camera and then entered her residence without her consent. Officers went to Heath’s residence in the 600 block of East Brookwood Drive. When officers arrived, they observed Heath and another male subject walking inside the house. Heath shut the front door on officers and refused to cooperate with them. Officers immediately surrounded the residence, and then obtained arrest warrants for Heath, along with a search warrant for his house. Officers forced entry into Heath’s residence, and he was arrested and taken to Lowndes County Jail for criminal trespass (misdemeanor) and theft by taking (misdemeanor), both under family violence. Within a couple of hours after being released from Lowndes County Jail, Heath began to send threatening text messages to the victim. Officers made contact with the victim again, and during this interaction with the victim, she was able to provide officers with video evidence of the incident in which she had previously reported Heath had kidnapped her at gunpoint.

On November 19, 2023, at approximately 1:15 am., Valdosta Police Officers located Heath at a residence in the 700 block of Lausanne Drive. Valdosta Police Officers took Heath into custody again and transported him to Lowndes County Jail.
Heath has been charged with the following charges:

• Kidnapping-felony;
• Aggravated assault-felony;
• Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon-felony;
• Possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony-felony;
• Stalking-misdemeanor;
• Theft by taking family violence-misdemeanor; and
• Criminal trespass family violence-misdemeanor.

“This was outstanding work by our officers. They could see that this offender’s actions were escalating, so they knew he needed to be arrested before anything further could happen to the victim. Then when they found out that he had been released from jail and immediately contacted the victim, they did not stop until they found him and took him into custody again.” Said Chief
Leslie Manahan.