Archived News

DeKalb police have arrested a suspect in a stabbing death and are still seeking suspects in an attempted armed robbery. Both incidents happened on Sunday, Oct. 4.

Tekelia Blackshear, 21, was found dead in her Oak Creek Apartments home in Avondale Estates by a neighbor shortly after 7 a.m., according to the incident report. The woman was stabbed several times on her upper torso, Officer Jason Gagnon said.

The neighbor, who along with the victim is deaf, told police that she often would check on Blackshear. When the neighbor checked on Sunday morning, the victim was found lying on the floor and was not breathing when police arrived.

Police have arrested 21-year-old Darrel Charles Smith and charged him with the slaying. Smith was Blackshear’s next door neighbor.

Police also are investigating the attempted armed robbery of a North Carolina man at Exchange Park in Decatur. Justin Caldwell told police he stopped to ask for directions on Columbia Drive and was lured into Exchange Park.

When Caldwell got suspicious and tried to leave, his car was blocked by the suspects’ car. One suspect demanded Caldwell’s car at gunpoint, according to the police report, and the two got into a scuffle. Caldwell told police he was beaten in the head, and then he heard a gunshot.

The suspects, two Black males and a Black female driver, had left the scene in a silver sedan by the time police and EMS arrived. Caldwell was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital with head wounds.

Anyone with information on either case is asked to call the DeKalb Police Department’s major felony division at (770) 724-7850.