New stalking accusations against Doraville police officer charged in teen's death
New details in investigation into officer accused in teen's death
A Snellville woman says she was stalked by the same police officer who has been arrested in connection with the death of a 16-year-old Gwinnett County teen. Former Doraville police Officer Miles Bryant now sits in jail charged with concealing a death and filing a false police report. The new accuser who says she has known Bryant for years.
SNELLVILLE, Ga. - A Snellville woman says she was stalked by the same police officer who has been arrested in connection with the death of 16-year-old Gwinnett County Susanna Morales.
Former Doraville Police Officer Miles Bryant sits in the Gwinnett County Jail charged with concealing a death and filing a false police report.
The new accuser says she has known Bryant for years.
"I've known him since fifth grade, we grew up together," 21-year-old Elesha Bates revealed.
Ms. Bates believes Ring video her neighbor gave her is Bryant as he was lurking around her door with a hood on his head, tugging at her doorknob. She says he even broke in one time when she was not home.
"When my neighbor told me that she saw Miles come into our community and mess with my door when I wasn't home, just trying to see if I was home messing with my doorknob and stuff. Once she showed me the video, it was all alarming," Ms. Bates said.
This stalking, she says, happened before 16-year-old Susanna Morales went missing in July and after the teen seemed to have vanished, leaving Bates to think.
"I was shocked. It could have been me because he was the person at my door coming, unscrewing my knob, it was very alarming," Ms. Bates commented.
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In July, she says it was a screen grab that led her to identify the man in the fatigues as Bryant, a man she knew, who tried to reconnect with her, but she was not interested.
She says Bryant became so aggressive she feared for her life and reported the then police officer to his employer Doraville Police and Gwinnett County Police. The 21-year-old says she feared for her life.
Reporter: "Did you get a firearm because of him?"
Bates: "Yes."
Doraville Police says they launched an administrative investigation, talked to Bryant and the behavior stopped. Doraville Police says they told Bates to report any potential criminal charges to the Gwinnett County Police Department.
Gwinnett County Police says they are not sure why her complaint was not followed up on, but they are reopening the case.
Ms. Bates believes both police agencies dropped the ball.
"I don't think they took the matter seriously because he was a cop; however, I feel like if they did Susanna would still be alive," Ms. Bates complained.
The Gwinnett County woman says she believed Bryant wanted to rape her. She said she still has nightmares as she relives the stalking over and over.
Finally, she says she expects Gwinnett County Police to charge him in her case.