Stone Mountain Man Arrested; Allegedly Hit Toddler

According to police, a 61-year-old Stone Mountain man annoyed with a crying 2-year-old girl at a Wal-Mart slapped the child several times after warning the toddler's mother to keep her quiet.

A police report says after the stranger hit the girl at least four times, he said: "See, I told you I would shut her up."

Roger Stephens of Stone Mountain is charged with felony cruelty to children.

Authorities say the girl and her mother were shopping Monday when the toddler began crying.

The police report says Stephens approached the mother and said, "If you don't shut that baby up, I will shut her up for you."

Authorities say after Stephens slapped the girl, she began screaming.

The mother then called for security.

The girl suffered some redness in the face but was otherwise okay.

Stephens was being held without bond.

Gwinnett County to Lease Stone Mountain Tennis

Gwinnett commissioners agreed this week to lease Stone Mountain tennis facilities that were built for the 1996 Olympics.

The Stone Mountain Memorial Association (SMMA) owns the facilities, which are located in Gwinnett County. The 50-year, $1 per year lease agreement covers a 24.5-acre site at 5525 Bermuda Road and includes 15 outdoor tennis courts and support facilities. The existing tennis stadium on the site is not included in the agreement.

More than 300 citizens signed a petition asking the County to lease the property for a public park after it was closed recently.

“This is a great opportunity to use existing facilities and open them back up for public use,” said District 3 Commissioner Mike Beaudreau, who credited the strong citizen support for the move. “This is a vital gateway to our County. Much of the credit goes to Brett Harrell and the Evermore CID for working behind the scenes with the SMMA to make this day a reality.”

The County plans to make improvements and renovations beginning next year with completion by mid-summer 2010.

Police: Stewart Died as a Result of a Gunshot Wound

Gwinnett County police say a 38-year-old Stone Mountain man died as a result of a gunshot wound to the head.

The body of Marc Stewart, president and CEO of Island Coast Entertainment, was discovered in his Ford Explorer Saturday evening in the Duluth area.

Stewart had not been heard from since phoning his wife last Wednesday evening to say he was on his way home from work for dinner.

According to police, the initial investigation is that Stewart's death is a homicide, not a suicide.

Authorities also said early on that Stewart's bank card and cell phone were used later in the evening after he phoned his wife last Wednesday. Police have not said if any images of someone using his bank card have been recorded.

GONE MISSING: Search Continues for Stone Mountain Man

EDITOR'S NOTE: As a new feature each Sunday, GOATLANTA will highlight a recent missing persons case.

Law enforcement in and around the Atlanta area are continuing their search for a Stone Mountain man who went missing last Wednesday evening.

According to authorities, a bank card and cell phone belonging to Marc Stewart have been operated since his disappearance. Stewart, who was driving a silver 2005 Ford Explorer (Ga. License - BDY-6016), reportedly left his home for work last Wednesday morning and has not been seen since.

Later that evening, Stewart, 38, reportedly called home to tell his wife he'd be home for dinner, but never made it. Stewart's bank card (Bank of America) has reportedly seen "irregular check card activity," since the time he went missing.

Anyone with information on this disappearnce is asked to call the DeKalb County police department special victims unit at (770) 724-7710 or DeKalb County police at (678) 937-2852.

Stone Mountain Fire Claims 3 Young Girls

An early morning fire in Stone Mountain has left three young girls dead, while a fourth survived after jumping out of a second story window.

According to DeKalb County authorities, the three girls who died at the scene were Tranetra Stokes, 6, Shantia Stokes, 10, and Topeka Smith, 13. The fire happened in the Mountain Valley Estates subdivision.

The only child to survive the fire was 12-year-old Tamria Stokes.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way.

Authorities Make Arrest in Arson Cases

Authorities in DeKalb County reported the early morning arrest of Jeffrey Tremaine Sprowl, 21, of Stone Mountain, who is under investigation for allegedly setting a number of suspicious fires during a 12-hour period Sunday and early Monday.

According to fire investigators, the fires began around 4 p.m. Sunday. The latest fire early Monday morning took place at a day care center. Another fire heavily damaged a hair salon, while a third fire damaged an auto dealership. There were no injuries and no cars suffered damage.

In one of the other suspicious fires, the Indian Creek Baptist Church suffered heavy damage, but there were no injuries.