Police said Duarte is accused of attacking and killing Delmar Mejia, stabbing him several times in the face before slitting his throat on July 17.
Channel 2 Action News spoke to neighbors living in the area nearby off of Cardell Road in Austell, who said Duarte was often seen wandering around high and causing trouble.
The neighbors told Seiden that they’d never thought Duarte was capable of such a heinous crime.
“I was shocked when I realized that he got killed,” a teenager told Seiden.
Channel 2 Action News was given permission to interview her about her previous interactions with Duarte, though her mother asked us not to show her daughter’s face.
“He was always silent and whenever he goes outside, he’d just be walking around over here and over there,” the teen said. “He caused a lot of trouble.”
That trouble caught the attention of local law enforcement.
Jail records show Duarte was arrested on July 10 for an outstanding charge in Douglas County, spending 15 hours in jail.
The next day, police arrested him for obstruction and he spent another two days in jail.
Now, as police continue their investigation into the death, the family’s neighbors are focused on Mejia.
He’s remembered as a friendly man who greeted everyone with a smile, neighbors told Channel 2 Action News .
“The victim was a very nice guy and he didn’t do anything wrong,” according to neighbors.
Jail records show Duarte is being held without bond on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault.
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