angie.thompson@gaflnews.com



TIFTON — A Tift County man arrested Friday morning on domestic violence charges of aggravated assault and battery was charged later that day with manufacturing methamphetamine. Two acquaintances of the man were arrested after they pulled up to the residence being searched.

Christopher Gay, 21, 51 Robin Cook Road, was arrested after a 20-year-old Tifton woman reported that he had punched her several times at a Bill Bowen Road address. The woman reported that Gay shot a weapon in her direction “around her feet” and that he “also put the same weapon to her head and threatened to kill her.” The incident report stated that the woman had visible injuries.

Drug Enforcement Agents with the Tift County Sheriff’s Department already had Gay under surveillance. Once agents served the search warrant on his home early Friday evening, they found paraphernalia used to manufacture methamphetamine and chemicals used to manufacture the drug.

“We won’t know the quantity until the lab examines all of it,” said Tift County Sheriff Gary Vowell.

While drug agents were searching Gay’s house, two others being investigated approached the residence in a 1999 Chevrolet S-10.

“They approached the residence as if they were going to stop,” Vowell said.

Agents stopped the vehicle on a child restraint violation and found what they described as a large amount of paraphernalia used to produce methamphetamine and the chemicals commonly used to produce the drug. According to agents, a small child was standing up in the seat of the vehicle when it was stopped.

Melissa Rae Bradford, 22, 706 Dane St., Nashville was driving the vehicle. She was charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine and a child restraint violation.

Dustin Joseph Hall, 22, 2552 U.S. Highway 82 West, Brookfield, was charged with possession of methamphetamine, manufacturing methamphetamine and possession of marijuana. Agents found the marijuana in Hall’s pants.

Hall was arrested May 17 by agents with the South Georgia Drug Task Force after he and another man were spotted near West Berrien School where Berrien County deputies had been posted after several tanks of anhydrous ammonia were broken into. The chemical is used to make methamphetamine.



To contact reporter Angie Thompson, call 382-4321, ext. 208.