Toombs Grand Jury Indicts 8

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During the Toombs County Grand Jury’s final meeting of 2024, the Jury indicted 8 suspects, including individuals charged with murder, child molestation, interstate interference with custody, and burglary. Azairan Octavious Wright, 23, of Vidalia, was indicted on charges of felony murder, malice murder, and poss ession of a firearm during the commission of a felony for his role in the death of Ladarius Cobb, 31, of Vidalia, on November 8, 2023.

Law enforcement learned of Cobb’s death at 7:26 p.m. on November 8, 2023, when officers were dispatched to the 700 block of Georgia Street in Vidalia, where they found Cobb lying unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to the Memorial Health Meadows Hospital, but soon succumbed to his injuries.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation assisted the Vidalia Police Department with the investigation, and after speaking with witnesses of the incident and Cobb’s family members, the agencies named Wright as the sole suspect. Wright was captured by the U.S. Marshals – Southeastern Regional Fugitive Task Force and Georgia Bureau of Investigation on Washington Street in Vidalia on December 28, 2023.

Wright will now begin the process of entering a formal plea, which will determine his next steps towards trial or sentencing.

The Grand Jury also indicted Ezequiel Medina, 17, of Lyons, on two counts of aggravated child molestation, two counts of sexual exploitation of children, and a single count of child molestation.

Medina was first arrested on September 5, after he admitted to creating a social media post that insinuated that a school within the Toombs County area was the target for a potential shooting. Upon being notified of this post, Toombs County Schools administration contacted law enforcement, who traced the post back to Medina, a Toombs County High School student.

At around 5:45 a.m. on September 5, Lyons police officers went to Medina’s residence, where they found no firearms. Medina was detained for questioning and initially stated that the post was a screenshot of a message sent to him from a friend, but later confessed to making the original post. He did not disclose why he created the message.

Medina was booked into the Toombs County Detention Center on charges of felony terroristic threats (two counts) and criminal attempt to commit disrupting of public schools (misdemeanor). He was later released on a $12,000 property bond.

On September 11, Medina was arrested again and charged with one count of sexual exploitation of children. Additional warrants were taken out against Medina two days later, on September 13, for one count of aggravated assault and five counts of child molestation.

Medina has remained behind bars since his second arrest, as Toombs County Chief Magistrate Judge Jack McMillan denied his bond. He will now enter a formal plea to the court, which will determine his next steps through the judicial system.

The Toombs County Grand Jury indicted Wendy Powell Salter on a single count of interstate interference with custody.

Stella Brannen Salter and her mother, Wendy Powell Salter, were reported missing on Tuesday, April 2, after family members and friends said they had last seen the pair on Saturday, March 29. Acc ording to Lyons Police Chief Wesley Walker, the child was believed to be traveling with her mother to Atlanta in a 2007 gold Volvo, which had been spotted in Metter the same day where the report was made.

On, April 3, law enforcement officials were able to track Wendy’s cell phone to Orlando, Florida, where the device pinged several cell phone towers throughout the city. As the search intensified, officials discovered that a flight from Orlando to San Juan, Puerto Rico, had been booked in Wendy’s and Stella’s names. Upon discovering this information, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) became involved with the case.

Through the collaborative efforts of the Lyons Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, Toombs County District Attorney’s Office, Metter Police Department, Candler County Sheriff’s Office, and FBI, the mother and child were found safe in Puerto Rico on Saturday, April 6. Stella was returned to her father, who has full custody of the child, and Wendy was charged with interstate interference of custody and was extradited back to the United States. She will now enter a plea to the court to determine if she goes to trial or a sentencing hearing.

Brenda Kay Perkins was indicted on charges of armed robbery, aggravated assault, and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony for her actions on September 2, when she took money from the Family Dollar store in Vidalia. During the robbery, Perkins threatened the store’s employee with a knife to intimidate the worker to hand over the money. She will now enter a formal plea to the court to determine her next steps in the judicial process.

In addition to these indictments, Brian Daniel Lopez-Gomez was charged with criminal attempt to commit burglary; France Antonio Gordon was charged with aggravated battery, cruelty to children in the second degree, battery, and cruelty to children in the third degree; Andrea Delgado was charged with aggravated assault (family violence); and Marcos Antonio Aguilar was charged with being a habitual violator. These individuals will now enter their formal pleas to the court to determine their next steps in the judicial system.

The next convening of the Toombs County Grand Jury will be on January 20, 2025.

Ezequiel Medina

Wendy Powell Salter

Brenda Kay Perkins