A DeKalb County grand jury has returned a murder indictment against a man who allegedly left his passport at a shooting scene and was arrested when trying to report the document missing to police.
Sanjay Stewartson of Lithonia is accused of malice murder in the death of Peter Johnson, which happened May 8 at 10:30 a.m. at a busy shopping plaza on Covington Highway, half a mile from Lithonia High.
Stewartson’s indictment came down earlier this month. He was also recently denied bond, court records show.
He's been in the county jail since mid-May, after he walked into the Lawrenceville Police Department to report his passport missing. Authorities believe he didn't realize he'd left it at the scene of the shooting and wanted for questioning because police had found it, along with a phone that allegedly showed he'd been arguing with Johnson over marijuana.
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In the police station, Stewartson told an officer he needed to get a police report for the missing passport, which he thought he’d lost at a Gwinnett County Walmart, so he could order a replacement. He and his wife were hoping to go on vacation, Stewartson said.
The cop noticed him sweating profusely, his hands shaking.
Curious, the officer looked him up, discovered he was wanted on a murder charge and arrested him.
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