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Pebble Brook victim identified
19-year-old Newton County resident Caylen Gooch believed to be murdered
handcuff-web
staff_report2
Updated: Aug 12, 2015, 2:08 PM
Published: Aug 11, 2015, 2:38 PM

The Newton County Sheriff's Office (NCSO) has identified the victim of Tuesday's shooting as 19-year-old Newton County resident Caylen Gooch.

NCSO is investigating a murder that may have occured Tuesday morning in the Pebble Brook Subdivision, located off Brown Bridge Road in Newton County.

At 5:30 a.m. deputies responded to a call in reference to a deceased male lying in the street. 

"The male had been shot and expired," an NCSO press release said. 

The victim, a black male appearing to be in his late teens to early twenties, did not have any identification on him, according to the release.

The Newton County Coroner responded to the scene and the victim was transported to the GBI Crime Lab. NCSO said an autopsy will be completed by the Medical Examiner’s Office to determine an exact cause and manner of death.

The NCSO is asking anyone with any information regarding this incident to please call 678-625-1400. You can also provide information by contacting the anonymous TIP Line at 678-625-5007 or newtonsheriffga.org where you can remain anonymous.
April 3 crash kills two young adults, injures third
Newton County Sheriff Car---WEB
Kate Verity
Published: Apr 4, 2025, 10:29 PM

NEWTON COUNTY — Around 10 a.m. on Thursday, a head-on collision on Highway 212 left two young adults dead and a third hospitalized.

Joe Navarro, 21, was driving the vehicle and Breanna Smith, 18, was in the passenger seat. Katie New, 20, sat between them.

According to the Newton County Sheriff’s Office, the vehicle lost control while going around a curve and crossed the centerline, where it collided head-on with a box truck. The crash report shows that their vehicle traveled another hundred feet after impact before coming to a stop. It spun, ended up facing the opposite direction on the shoulder of the opposite lane.

Navarro and Smith were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. New was airlifted to Grady Hospital. Her current condition is not known. 

Navarro, Smith and New were not believed to be wearing seatbelts when the collision occurred.

The driver of the box truck was not reported to have suffered any injuries.

This is an ongoing story. The News will post updates as they are made available.