In a quiet apartment in Sandy Springs, a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, the life of 31-year-old Antonio Bernabe came to a sudden and violent end. On June 22, 2015, Bernabe was discovered lifeless on the living room couch, the victim of a fatal shooting. A single shell casing found near his body was a stark testament to the final moments of his life. The male victim's death would soon set off a manhunt for a suspect who was closer to the investigation than anyone initially realized.
The
investigation took a significant turn when a 13-year-old girl bravely came forward and contacted the authorities. In a startling revelation, she informed the police that her older brother had confessed to family members about his involvement in the shooting. This critical piece of information immediately identified 29-year-old Juan Avillez Dominguez as the primary suspect in the murder of Antonio Bernabe. With this confession, the search for the alleged killer intensified, as Dominguez had fled the area following the incident.
For over a week, law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Marshals, immigration enforcement, and state parole officers, tirelessly pursued leads to locate Dominguez. The search culminated on a Tuesday morning in Cedartown, located in Polk County. Acting on a tip, officers converged on a residence on Knight Road. Behind the house, they found Dominguez hiding inside an abandoned vehicle. He was taken into custody without incident, bringing the manhunt to a close. Following his capture, he was transported to the Polk County jail before being transferred to Fulton County to face the charges against him. Dominguez was charged with murder, aggravated assault with intent to murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
