A 17-year-old suspect is wanted in a Douglas County homicide case in which a man was shot while driving and crashed his minivan into a residential back yard, officials said.
Nathanael Michael Searcy was identified as the suspect after deputies found 21-year-old Melvin Porter shot dead in the driver’s seat of his van in Lithia Springs, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded to calls for shots fired and a vehicle collision in the Silver Creek Ranch subdivision Tuesday, the agency said in a Facebook post.
According to the initial investigation, responding deputies found Porter at the wheel of a van that had been driving down Silver Way. The van crashed into a home’s back yard and Porter was declared dead at the scene, the sheriff’s office said.
Investigators canvassed the neighborhood and conducted interviews near the scene, along with reviewing home surveillance footage from neighbors. Through those leads, the sheriff’s office said it was able to identify Searcy as the suspect.
As the investigation has continued, deputies have executed multiple search warrants and arrested two “associates” of Searcy who were at the scene of the crime, the sheriff’s office said. The agency said it expects to make more arrests.
Searcy is described as 5-foot-7 and 145 pounds. He is considered armed and dangerous, so officials are asking anyone who sees him not to approach him but call 911.
Anyone with information about this case or Searcy’s whereabouts is asked to contact Sgt. Jay Hayes at 770-920-4905 or Jhayes@sheriff.douglas.ga.us. You may also contact the Douglas sheriff’s office by calling 770-949-5656 or emailing MCUnit@sheriff.douglas.ga.us.
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