A ranger with the Corps of Engineers Office contacted the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office earlier this month, saying he had a lot of homeless people living on Corps property located in the wooded area off I-75 exit ramp 278 off Allatoona Gateway. He advised around 15 to 30 people were living out there.

The Sheriff’s office decided to go out there in a large group for officer safety.

On Wednesday morning at 6:00, deputies went and made contact with 30-year-old Alexis Mitsuko Liebowitz of Decatur, 31-year-old Nicholas Taylor Beam of Acworth, 30-year-old Bradley Marvin Lackey, 39-year-old Ronald Lamar Brantley of Acworth, 39-year-old John Paul Podgwaite, 60-year-old Deborah Kay Young, 58-year-old Sean Douglas Hunt, 40-year-old Reba Crystal Cauthen of Cartersville, 61-year-old James Leonard Cox, 53-year-old Anthony Brian Cochran of Acworth, 33-year-old Robert Garrett, 58-year-old Chris Deanne Garrett, 32-year-old Joseph Martin Gayton, 30-year-old Kathleen Barcenas De La Rosa, 52-year-old Ann Elizabeth McKay, and 44-year-old David Lee Frye.

Upon the BCSO’s arrival, the suspects were reportedly sleeping in several tents. They woke all the suspects and sat them in the compound’s center. The ranger wanted all of them charged with criminal trespass, and deputies arrested and transported them to the jail without incident. Animal control was there to take eight dogs to the shelter. Authorities rescinded Liebowitz’s criminal trespass charge but issued a violation of probation warrant. Lackey had warrants for obstructing a law enforcement officer and violation of probation.