Man found shot dead in car and other news from areas around Chattanooga

Monday, December 16, 2013

Man found shot dead in car

SMYRNA, Tenn. - Authorities are investigating the death of a Rutherford County man who was found inside his car with a gunshot wound.

Rutherford County Sheriff Robert Arnold said the body of 47-year-old Jackie G. Warpoole Jr., of Smyrna, was discovered around 6:30 a.m. Sunday along Interstate 24 in Smyrna. A motorist had stopped to check on the parked car.

Arnold said there's not a suspect or motive at this time, but the case is being treated like a homicide.

Investigators are trying to locate the last people Warpoole spoke with Sunday.


Missing boy's body found in river

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Marshall County Coroner's officials say the body of an autistic 8-year-old boy who was reported missing after a house fire has been pulled from the Tennessee River.

County Coroner Marlon Killion told AL.com Sunday that Randle Barrow's body was recovered overnight. Authorities said his mother, Delicia Latice Barrow, was killed in a house fire on Saturday.

Huntsville police on Saturday were doing a welfare check on the boy, who had not been in school for two days, when they saw smoke coming from his home.

Details on the cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the boy's death weren't immediately available.


Man fatally struck by train

DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. - Douglas County officials say a man wearing headphones has died after being hit by a train.

Coroner Randy Daniel told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution 28-year-old Assan Reavis, of Douglasville, was walking near the intersection of Dallas and Bankhead highways downtown. Daniel said the man was struck as he crossed train tracks about 20 miles west of downtown Atlanta.

Daniel said Reavis was pronounced dead on the scene.

On Tuesday afternoon, a man in Fairburn -- about 20 miles southeast of Douglasville -- also was hit by a train while wearing headphones.


Crews work on Dade roads

CARTERSVILLE, Ga. - State Department of Transportation maintenance crews will be repairing pavement edges on Dade County highways this week.

Maintaining the edges combats damage from vehicles, vegetation and other sources that may reduce roadway's integrity and safety, according to a GDOT news release.

Crews will be working today through Thursday on state routes 136 and 189. Work hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., weather permitting.


Arson blaze kills firefighter

WAYCROSS, Ga. - A firefighter has died fighting a blaze in a vacant home in Waycross.

A state spokesman said firefighters arrived at the house shortly after midnight on Saturday. The home had been vacant for a long time and didn't have electricity or utilities hooked up. The fire was ruled an arson.

Lt. Jeff Little, 50, of the Waycross Fire Department, became trapped and died. His death will be investigated as a homicide.

Little had been with the department for 12 years.