Authorities identify motel shooting victim, second homicide in two days in Albany

ALBANY — Albany police reported Sunday that they had recovered the vehicle that had been used by an unknown assailant to leave a northwest Albany hotel after he shot and killed a man identified Sunday as 27-year-old Zemal Fuentes of Thomaston.

Albany Police Department officials announced in a news release that the white Impala that had reportedly been used by the shooter to leave the scene was discovered on the campus of Albany State University Sunday morning.

The fatal shooting of Fuentes was the city’s 18th homicide of the year and second in two days.

Phyllis Banks, a spokeswoman for the Albany Police Department, said law enforcement officials had begun searching Saturday night for a late-model white Impala after responding to the shooting at the Quality Inn at 806 N. Westover Blvd. The shooting was reported at 7:23 p.m.

Sunday’s updated release by APD said the victim was discovered laying in front of Room 130 at the northwest Albany hotel. Witnesses reported hearing two or three gunshots and saw the white Chevy Impala fleeing the scene. Fuentes was reportedly wounded in the upper body. He was taken by EMS to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Motel guests who had rooms near the shooting location waited outside near the Albany Mall parking lot while the crime scene was being processed.

Early Saturday morning, police brought in for questioning and then released a person of interest in the Friday lunchtime shooting death that occurred during an armed robbery at the Dollar General store at 1906 E. Oglethorpe Blvd. In that incident, Javis Walker, 31, of Albany, became the city’s 17th homicide victim when he attempted to stop the robbery.

“Javis Walker is being considered a hero for the actions he took during an armed robbery that claimed his life,” Banks said. “Albany police say Walker entered the Dollar General on East Oglethorpe Boulevard (Friday) and saw what was taking place, then attempted to stop the robbery.

“An altercation occurred between Walker and the suspects. At some point, Walker was fatally wounded.”

Banks said robbery and homicide detectives interviewed a male who was described as a person of interest about 4 a.m. Saturday after he was picked up by Lee County sheriff’s deputies. Following the interview, he was released.