An upset Georgia father tracked down his teenage daughter’s location via her cellphone and shot the 17-year-old boy he found her with, police said.
Deputies from the Habersham County Sheriff’s Department responded to a call of shots fired in a church parking lot across the street from two schools in Mount Airy around 10:15 a.m. Wednesday, according to the sheriff’s department.
Upon arrival, police found 36-year-old Dustin Vandegrift attempting to getaway from the Central Alliance Church in a white Camaro. He was detained for questioning, cops said.
After ensuring that both schools were secure, police located the 17-year-old male victim. He was taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
Investigators later determined that the boy was not hit by a bullet, but suffered injuries from a physical assault and ricochet debris.
Vandergrift told police he had tracked his daughter’s cellphone location to the back of the church and drove there to check on her. When he found his 17-year-old daughter with the male, he confronted the pair, attacked the boy and fired a shot at him.
Vandergrift’s daughter said her father showed up and “battered” the boy she was with before shooting at him. She said her father also struck her.
A search warrant executed on Vandergrift’s car yielded the .45-caliber pistol he had fired.
He’s charged with aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, simple battery involving family violence, two counts of first-degree cruelty to children, two counts of third-degree cruelty to children, and two counts of recklessly causing harm or endangering safety.
He was booked at the Habersham County Jail with no bond.
Tell us your thoughts...