Two charged with murder in Saturday homicide in Albany

ALBANY — Two men have been charged with murder and a third man with tampering with evidence in the Saturday shooting death of Zamil Fuentes at an Albany motel, the result of what police said was a drug deal that soured.

Phyllis Banks, spokeswoman for the Albany Police Department, said homicide/robbery investigators have charged David Quimby, 19, and Courtland Hughley, 21, each with a count of murder.

The third defendant, Kedravious Web, 21, was charged with tampering with evidence, Banks said.

“The around-the-clock, 72-hour investigation revealed the motive was a drug deal that went wrong between the suspects and the victim,” Banks said in a news release.

Albany police also thanked the public for its help in clearing the homicide.

“The Albany Police Department would like to thank the community for assisting with tip information,” Banks said. “It is a partnership that produces safer communities.”

Police were called to the Quality Inn at 806 N. Westover Blvd. at 7:23 p.m. Saturday when gunshots were reported.

Banks said police found Fuentes, who had been shot, lying 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 Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

An auto matching the description was found Sunday on the east campus of Albany State University.

The slaying of Fuentes was the city’s 18th of the year and ended a violent week in which community saw three murders, which were investigated by APD, and one attempted murder, currently being investigated by the Dougherty County Police Department.

On Oct. 9, APD officers responded to a domestic dispute call at 905 Rosedale Ave. and found 43-year-old Natasha Rollins shot to death and her husband, Donar Rollins, suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

On Thursday, Riley Harrel, 57, of 805 Westview Drive, was awakened by a knock on his door at 2:30 a.m., and, according to DCP officials, was shot in the face when he answered the door. Harrell remains hospitalized.

On Friday, APD officers were called to an attempted armed robbery at the Dollar General store located at 1906 E. Oglethorpe Blvd. and found Javis Walker, 31, shot and killed at the scene. Walker was a regular customer of the east Albany establishment and police have characterized him as a hero for his attempt to intervene in the robbery.

Albany police have questioned at least two persons of interest in that case and were attempting Tuesday to find two more to question — Cohen Scott Mathews, 22, and Heather Nicole Jeffcoat, 32, who have active warrants for their arrests. Those warrants are not connected to the Dollar General holdup and shooting, police said.