Man tracks daughter’s phone to church, shoots at teen she’s arguing with, GA cops say
A dad accused of pummeling then firing a gun at a 17-year-boy his daughter was arguing with has been arrested, Georgia authorities say.
Dustin Vandergrift, 36, faces multiple charges including child cruelty and aggravated assault after authorities said he tracked his daughter’s cellphone to a church and beat up her male friend, according to the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were called Wednesday, May 25, to the 2200 block of Georgia State Route 197 in Mount Airy after someone reported hearing a gunshot around 10:15 a.m., authorities wrote in a news release. Vandergrift, who deputies said tried fleeing the area in his Chevy Camaro, was detained and questioned by investigators.
The shooting prompted lockdowns at Habersham Central High School and the Ninth Grade Academy, though authorities emphasized that the incident did not happen on campus.
During questioning, Vandergrift told investigators he went to check on his 17-year-old daughter after tracking her phone across the street to Central Alliance Church, the release reads. He then “physically attacked” a boy she was fighting with before shooting at him, officials said.
The teen was taken to a hospital for treatment, police said. Investigators determined his injuries stemmed from the beating and “ricochet debris” from the gunfire.
Police also spoke with Vandergrift’s daughter, who said her father appeared behind the church, beat up the boy she was with, and then shot at him, the release said. She added that her father also hit her.
A search of Vandergrift’s car turned up a .45 caliber M1911 gun, deputies said. He was booked into the Habersham County Jail on several charges including simple battery, recklessly causing harm and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
He remained behind bars without bond as of Thursday, May 26.
Mount Airy is about 80 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta.
This story was originally published May 26, 2022 at 1:34 PM with the headline "Man tracks daughter’s phone to church, shoots at teen she’s arguing with, GA cops say."