Augusta Man Arrested for April Homicide Near Jenkins-White Elementary

On December 20, 2024, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office arrested 28-year-old Dominique Beal of Augusta in connection with the homicide of 19-year-old Makel Jones. The incident occurred on April 1, 2024, in the 2000 block of Bolt Drive near Jenkins-White Elementary School.

Authorities reported that gunfire erupted around 11:40 p.m. on the night of the incident. Responding officers arrived after Jones had already been transported to Augusta University Medical Center (AUMC), where he succumbed to his injuries the following day.

Witnesses stated that Jones, a father of a 1-year-old, had been defending his sister after Beal allegedly struck her. Beal now faces charges of Murder and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime and has been booked into the Charles B. Webster Detention Center.

The investigation remains ongoing.