Category: Press Releases

(DOTHAN, Ala.) On June 28, 2026, just before 2:00 pm, the Dothan Traffic Division responded to a motor vehicle crash with serious injuries at the intersection of South Lena Street and West Lafayette Street. According to reports, a vehicle ran the stop sign and collided with another vehicle going through the intersection.  The vehicle that ran the stop sign was a 2016 Toyota Camry driven by a 12-year-old juvenile.  A juvenile passenger was ejected from the vehicle after the crash.

As investigators were investigating the cause of the crash, surveillance videos in the area showed the Camry and a 2014 Hyundai Elantra driven by Jadyn Ruth Smith (20) of Daleville were racing through the residential streets prior to the crash.  The video also showed the passenger who was ejected sitting on the windowsill of the rear door prior to the crash.  The vehicle driven by Smith also had two juvenile passengers sitting on the rear windowsills of the door while engaging in reckless conduct.  The video showed the vehicle driven by the 12-year-old run the stop sign and colliding with another vehicle proceeding through the intersection that did not have a stop sign.

The 14-year-old juvenile who was ejected was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries and was later transferred to another hospital in North Alabama, where he remains in critical condition.

As a result of the investigation, investigators charged the 12-year-old juvenile with four counts of Assault 1^st degree.  The juvenile was placed in the Southeast Alabama Diversion Center.  Jadyn Smith was also charged with four counts of Assault 1^st degree.  Smith was booked into the Houston County Jail with bonds totaling $120,000.  The legal guardian of the 12-year-old, Brenda Bragg Raines (72) of Dothan, was charged with one count of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor for allowing the juvenile to take the vehicle with permission.  Raines was booked into the Houston County Jail with a $6,000 bond.

The video shows the vehicles operating in an extremely reckless manner and in a manner that showed a complete disregard for the value of human life.  Each driver is responsible for the safety of passengers and others on the road when they drive on the streets of the City of Dothan.

-Chief William E. Benny

(DOTHAN, Ala.) On Thursday, June 25, 2026, the Dothan Police Department responded to the 600 block of South Lena Street to investigate a report of suspected child neglect.

The investigation began after apartment maintenance personnel responded to a unit following reports of water leaking from the apartment. While attempting to locate the source of the leak, maintenance staff discovered a young child alone inside the two-story apartment.

Officers determined that the child, who is younger than 12 years old, was alone without adult supervision. The child was wearing only a shirt, and upon further investigation the apartment was determined to be in extremely unsanitary and unsafe living conditions. There was no food available in the residence, and the child’s sleeping area did not meet minimal acceptable living standards.  It was also learned that the child is non-verbal and has intellectual developmental disabilities, requiring a heightened level of care and supervision.

The investigation revealed that the child’s mother had left the residence the previous evening and had traveled to engage in prostitution for financial gain.  The mother was identified as Nykera Latrese Rich (27) of Dothan. Investigators contacted Rich, who was out of town at the time of the initial investigation. Rich returned to Dothan several hours later and turned herself in to the Dothan Police Department.

Dothan Police Department worked alongside the Houston County Department of Human Resources (DHR). Once the facts of the case were learned, DHR took custody of the child present along with a sibling who was not present at the time of this incident. Rich was charged with one count of Torture/Willful Abuse of a Child. Her bond was set at $15,000.

-Chief William E. Benny

(DOTHAN, Ala.) On June 24, 2026, around 6:30 pm, the Dothan Communications Center received a call about a person shot inside a residence in the 400 block of Donna Drive.  Officers rushed to the scene and found a teenager under the age of 18 suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest.  Emergency medical aid was rendered by officers on scene, and treatment was turned over to Dothan Fire medics upon their arrival.  The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment.  The juvenile will be transferred to another hospital for further treatment.  The injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

As investigators arrived on scene to collect evidence, it was discovered the victim and another teenager under the age of 18 were recording an amateur music video that involved a real, loaded firearm as a prop.  During the recording, the suspect discharged a round from the firearm that struck the victim.  The suspect then fled the scene after the shooting.  The suspect was later found at apartments on South Ussery Street and taken into custody without incident.

The juvenile was charged as an adult with Assault 1^st degree and booked into jail.  Due to Alabama law concerning juvenile privacy, no further information can be released.

-Chief William E. Benny

Narcotics investigators received information of an individual selling fentanyl from his residence on Blue Bird Dr as well as a residence on Ozark Street in Dothan from several different sources.  The investigation progressed quickly, which led investigators to obtain search warrants related to the case.  On June 22, 2026, Narcotics Investigators executed search warrants on the Blue Bird residence as well as the Ozark Street residence.  During the searches, investigators located and seized 66 grams of powder fentanyl, approximately $14,000 in U.S. Currency and two handguns.

The Dothan Police Department would like to thank the individuals that gave information to help stop this individual from selling fentanyl in the City of Dothan.  Our police department is more efficient when the community partners with us to reduce and eradicate crime.  Thomas Tabriz Holston Jr (24) of Dothan was arrested for Drug Trafficking-Fentanyl and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.  More charges are possible as the investigation is ongoing.  Holston was booked into the Houston County Jail and is currently being held without bond.

-Chief William E. Benny

(DOTHAN, Ala.) On June 12, 2026, just after 10:00 pm, the Dothan Police Department received reports of a firearm assault at a business in the 3700 block of South Park Avenue.  Upon arrival, officers found a female with a gunshot wound to the upper chest.  Immediate medical attention was given by officers until paramedics arrived to transport the victim to a local hospital.

According to investigators, the victim along with two other individuals were meeting with another group to buy marijuana.  During the meeting, payment for the drugs took longer than expected, which led to a tense argument between the parties.  During the argument, the suspect, Peyton Ann Kroger (24) of Ozark, pulled a firearm and fired rounds at the group.  One round struck the business behind the group while people in the group fled from gunfire.  After the group entered a vehicle to leave, Kroger approached the vehicle and fired more rounds.  This second round struck the victim in the upper chest.  The victims fled to the roundabout at Campbellton Road and Taylor Road to wait for law enforcement.  The victim was treated at a local hospital and released the same night.

During the investigation, officers were able to locate Kroger, who was taken into custody for the shooting without incident.  Kroger was arrested and charged with one count of Assault 1^st degree, two counts of Shooting into an Occupied Vehicle, and one count of Shooting into an Occupied Building.  Kroger was booked into the Houston County Jail and is being held without bond.

-Chief William E. Benny

(DOTHAN, Ala.) On June 5, 2026, around 8:30 am, the Dothan Police Department received a call about shots fired at a business in the 1500 block of Montgomery Highway.  When officers arrived, the suspect, identified as Melva Lee Guilford, was actively firing her gun in the air and into a nearby vehicle.  Officers made contact with Guilford, and she complied with demands to drop the weapon.  Guilford was taken into custody without further incident.

According to investigators, Guilford was upset at relationship problems with the victim and arrived at the victim’s place of employment armed with a firearm.  The vehicle that was shot was the victim’s vehicle.  Guilford was arrested and charged with one count of Shooting into an Unoccupied Vehicle and Domestic Violence 3^rd.

(DOTHAN, Ala) As the investigation continues into allegations against Johnny Mark Dunaway, a former Jerry Lee Faine elementary teacher, investigators continue to process evidence and conduct interviews. As a result of the ongoing investigation, charges have now been filed against two school employees who received the complaints against Dunaway. Bertha Nicole Guilford, Title-IX Coordinator for Dothan City Schools and Sophia Lanette Hedrington, the interim principal at the time, have each been charged with one count of failure to comply with Alabama’s Mandatory Reporting law. Both individuals surrendered themselves to the Houston County jail where they were booked and released on a $1,000.00 bond each. This continues to be an ongoing and active investigation.