Jail records from the Chatham County Sheriff’s Department show that two more “Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives” were arrested by Savannah Police Department (SPD) officers on Monday, July 29. The pair of arrests brings the total number of “Top 10 fugitives” arrested to six since the list was released by SPD on July 16.

Demetrius Thomas Barnes, 30, was charged with four felonies and a misdemeanor and is being held without bond at the Chatham County Correctional Facility. Zy’mon Ladonte Williams, 20, has a $4,600 bond for three felonies and three misdemeanors. A complete list of charges for both men can be found below.

DEMETRIUS THOMAS BARNES
Arrest Date: July 29, 2024
Agency: SAVANNAH PD
Bond: $0.00
Charges:
16-7-21 – CRIMINAL TRESPASS – M
16-7-1(b) – BURGLARY – 1ST DEGREE – F
16-8-40 – ROBBERY – F
16-5-91 – AGGRAVATED STALKING – F
42-8-38 – PROBATION VIOLATION – F

ZY’MON LADONTE WILLIAMS
Arrest Date: July 29, 2024
Agency: SAVANNAH PD
Bond: $4,600
Charges:
16-5-21 – AGGRAVATED ASSAULT – F
16-5-21 – AGGRAVATED ASSAULT – F
16-11-106 – POSSESSION OF FIREARM OR KNIFE DURING COMMISSION OF OR ATTEMPT TO COMMIT CERTAIN FELONIES – F
16-5-23.1 – BATTERY – M
16-5-20 – SIMPLE ASSAULT – M
16-5-70 – CRUELTY TO CHILDREN-3RD DEGREE – M

The website dedicated to the top 10 initiative clarifies that the listed fugitives are the most wanted, but not necessarily the most violent.

“(SPD) compiles a Top 10 Most Wanted list that details wanted subjects the department is looking for These suspects are not always the most violent offenders the department is looking for but have a combined number of factors that make them one of our top wanted offenders. The lists will be updated as offenders are captured.”

The four remaining fugitives on the SPD most wanted list are: Shakeim Bisard, Marcus Floyd, Ricktavis Gilliard and Ericque Street. Street is wanted in connection to the May 18 mass shooting incident in Ellis Square.

“We know that a lot of people engaged in violent activity in our community have already been engaged in violent activity (previously),” Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said on July 16. “So it stands to reason that these individuals who are engaged in violent activity—if we have our eyes on them or if they need to be behind bars— then hopefully, our violent incidents will go down.”

The mayor again addressed progress made on the most wanted list at his weekly press briefing on Tuesday, July 30 at City Hall. He didn’t know yet about the Monday arrests of Barnes and Williams, and the mayor named both men while reading aloud all six names still appearing at large on the list.

“Due to overwhelming community intervention and tips, we have four of those 10 in custody. I commend our police department. The fact of the matter is we can’t do this alone. But when the tips started coming, the arrests started happening,” Johnson said. “Brothers, get your business in order, lawyer up, and turn yourself in.”

MAYOR SAYS JULY STORMS ‘MORE INTENSE’ THAN USUAL
Johnson, on Tuesday, also addressed strong summer storms rolling through Savannah of late. He said that flooding and drainage issues are nothing Savannah hasn’t seen before, but he did acknowledge the rainfall totals for July were far above the norm when compared to prior years in Savannah.

“Since General [James] Oglethorpe came here in 1733, Savannah has had a flooding problem,” the mayor said. “So this is nothing new. But it’s clear, as you all have seen, that these storms are more powerful, more intense, and more dangerous [than usual].”

Johnson cited data from the National Weather Service which he said showed that Savannah had experienced 8.4 inches of rainfall in July and more than 11 inches recorded since the beginning of June. In July 2023, the mayor said Savannah received “around three inches of rain.” He said the average for July in Savannah, since 1991, is 5.75 inches of rain.

This article appears in Connect Savannah I July 2024.