Cortes visited several other places around the county before driving into the Fallen Peace Officers Monument at the sheriff's office Thursday. Exclusive details in the Saturday edition of the Calhoun Times - on newsstands now.
Johana Cortes, 24, of 1025 Erwin Hill Church Rd., in Calhoun was booked into the Gordon County Jail at 1 p.m. Thursday on charges of reckless driving, three counts of failing to return to the scene of an accident, terroristic threats and acts, interference with government property, criminal damage to property, and driving under the influence.
According to the GBI, Cortes was involved in a number of accidents around Calhoun GA prior to the incident at the Sheriff’s Office which occurred at 10:20am. She was driving a 2005, blue Toyota Corolla when she attempted to ram one of the entrances to the Sheriff’s Office. Instead, her vehicle hit the law enforcement memorial in front of that entrance.
The GBI press release stated that they are in the process of obtaining arrest warrants charging Cortes with Terroristic Threats and Acts, Interference with Government Property, and Criminal Damage to Property in the 2nd Degree.
Cortes, who the GBI has identified as a naturalized citizen from California who was originally from Guatemala, is currently in a Gordon County hospital under guard. Her local residence has not been determined as yet.
The GBI has determined there was no bomb in the car involved in an attempted attack on the Gordon County Sheriffs Department, according to Sheriff Mitch Ralston.
According to Chief Dep. Robert Paris, the driver sustained non-life-threatening injuries after she drove her passenger sedan into the monument dedicated to fallen police officers outside of the building at approximately 10:20 a.m.
"The driver made comments of possible explosives, and the building has been evacuated," said Paris.
According to Paris, the woman drove her car through the security fence, struck the monument, and attempted to flee from the vehicle. The woman was then arrested by one of the detectives in the building "at great risk."
"She was using her car as a weapon," said Paris. But there is no further information available on whether or not the driver was armed further.
Paris said no one in the building was harmed, but that it was cleared of occupants.
"We've evacuated the building ... It's a real safety issue," he said.
Crime tape surrounded the Resaca facility at the time of Paris' communication with the Calhoun Times.
The car was still in place late Thursday morning, according to Paris, and it had not been approached by local officials.
The GBI's Explosive Ordnance Disposal is en route to secure the area and investigate for possible explosives or harmful materials.
The department has also requested technical assistance from the FBI for further instructions on how to deal with this situation.
"We are extremely fortunate that no one inside our building, no innocent bystanders, were injured when this took place," said Paris. "This is the first incident of this type against a law enforcement facility that I am aware of in this area."
Floyd County officials said their bomb squad has been put on alert.
Thanks for the clues, I Found Her!!
A public defender is also part of those rights afforded the accused. I guess you'd rather not have one, if it came to a point where you might need one, since they cost taxpayer money? Then again, you must think those public defenders aren't meant for a "friggin' latino" as opposed to those of a "whiter" complexion?
As to the ACLU, read about them for once and find out what they truly do. You might understand why they won't show for this one.
I agree, completely! It is laughable, the lack of the most basic grammar and spelling that occurs on these posts. Good thing these folks live in Gordon County, because that crap would have them in the welfare lines in a more educated demographic. Unfortunately, your suggestion that they take a college course is not likely to happen, as they would be denied admission, because they are currently at a second grade level, at best.
Dirty,
If they are indeed college students, that's a scary thought!
Oh, and it is quite racist to assume that just because someone is of Latina decent that they are also here illegally. I, for the life of me, cannot figure out why someone would want to move to this country anyway. Americans are so rude with their "better than you" attitude. Yes, there are people living here illegally. Some of them are definitely bad seeds and then there are the rest of them that are just trying to provide for their families and give them a chance at having a better life than they would in "Mexico". By the way, speaking Spanish doesn't make you a Mexican. Not all illegal immigrants are from Mexico. When you make comments like that you are not only racist but also redneck, backwoods, ignorant, uneducated, and white trash. I don't think any of you would like it if people thought of you that way.