In what was described by authorities as a robbery that took a tragic turn, 19-year-old Sijeria Parks, an African American female, was fatally shot in the head on July 14, 2019. The incident unfolded at the Anthos at Chase Ridge apartments on Georgia Highway 85, just outside of Riverdale. Parks, a mother of two who had recently graduated from high school and was planning to attend cosmetology school, was involved in a plan to rob a man she had met on Instagram.
According to the Clayton
County Sheriff's Office, Parks lured the man to the apartment complex where several others were waiting to rob him. However, the intended victim was armed and a shootout erupted between him and the alleged robbers. During the exchange of gunfire, Parks was struck in the head. The man who was the target of the robbery was able to escape the apartment and immediately contacted the police. After being shot, a witness reported that Parks ran to a neighbor's home for help, asking if she had been shot before collapsing. She was transported to a local hospital where she later died from her injuries.
In the aftermath of the shooting, four of Parks' alleged accomplices were taken into custody and charged with her murder, as under Georgia law, they could be held responsible for the death of their co-conspirator during the commission of a felony. The individuals arrested were identified as Clifford Devon Bonds, Beldon Roger Sparks, Towheed Sylvester Gary, and Juanita Cassandra Jones. Jones, who was identified as Parks' cousin, was present at the apartment during the attempted robbery and shooting. Initially, she provided investigators with several different stories but eventually admitted to having prior knowledge of the planned robbery.
The four suspects faced a range of serious charges. Juanita Cassandra Jones was charged with murder during the commission of a felony, armed robbery, and making false statements. Beldon Roger Sparks, who was apprehended in Columbus, was charged with murder during the commission of a felony, armed robbery, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Towheed Sylvester Gary was arrested in Morrow and faced the same charges as Sparks. Clifford Devon Bonds, who was placed on the sheriff's office's Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, eventually turned himself in to authorities and was also charged with murder during the commission of a felony, armed robbery, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. All four were booked into the Clayton County jail and held without bond.
