Newton Citizen

COVINGTON - The Newton County Sheriff's Office has arrested and charged a 49-year-old Covington man with aggravated child molestation, according to NCSO spokesman Lt. Mark Mitchell.

The man, who is not being named to protect the victim's identity, is accused in the molestation of his daughter, who is under the age of 10.

Mitchell said deputies went to the man's residence, where the mother of the child made the complaint against her ex-husband.

"Deputies investigated further and were able, through statements and investigation, to make an arrest," Mitchell said.

The investigation has been turned over to the NCSO Criminal Investigation Division.

According to Georgia Code, a person commits aggravated child molestation when the child is physically injured or an act of sodomy has been committed.

In other crime news, an asset protection coordinator with the Covington Wal-Mart notified the Covington Police Department that, earlier this month, four people were observed leaving the store without paying for approximately $300 worth of Enfamil baby formula.

The man told officers he spotted the same four people, three Hispanic men and one Hispanic woman, in the store again on Saturday, but when they spotted him, one of the men began "whistling toward the female," and they all immediately left the store.

Apparently the theft took place on Feb. 5, but for some reason went unreported. The employee said about 9 a.m. the four came into the store and placed approximately 16 cans of the baby formula in the woman's buggy and then put clothes on top of it.

"Before leaving the store, the individuals placed all the cans in her bag and left the store without paying for any of it," a CPD incident report states.

The employee reported they were driving a green Toyota Camry.

He told the officers at the scene that Wal-Mart had been the victim of a similar incident in Madison where four Hispanics stole the same type of baby formula. The group was also spotted in the Conyers store, but apparently were spooked before stealing the formula.