VALDOSTA, Ga. — A man who had been wanted in connection with a shooing that took place on West Mary Street Friday is in custody, according to Valdosta Lt. Adam Bembry. 

The arrest came after a tip was received by police Wednesday saying Aliza Dejun Dickey has been seen in Albany, and he was believed to be en route to Valdosta. The tip included a vehicle description and license plate number. The person providing the tip continued updating police on the suspect’s direction of travel.

Detectives were told the suspect was traveling with Ronald Welsch, who also had an outstanding warrant.

Police vehicles, both marked and unmarked, were set up along the I-75 exits. At approximately 1:15 p.m. the suspect’s vehicle exited at Exit 22 onto North Valdosta Road, according to police reports.

A felony traffic stop was conducted and both Welsch and Dickey were found in the backseat of the white Chevrolet Impala the tipster had described. Other occupants of the vehicle were detained temporarily but were later released, reports stated.

A third male in the vehicle, whose name was not released, was also detained because the Lakeland Police Department had contacted Valdosta detectives stating they needed all three males for questioning in relation to a shooting case they were working from Monday.

All three suspects were transported to the Valdosta Police Department, where they were interviewed by Valdosta detectives and the Lakeland Police Department.

Welsch and Dickey were transported to Lowndes County Jail. The other male, who is 19 years old, was turned over to the Lakeland Police Department, according to police reports.

Welsch, 18, will face four felony counts of theft by entering auto, four misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, felony theft of receiving stolen property, felony possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, misdemeanor possession of a firearm by a minor. 

Valdosta Police Chief Brian Childress said evidence seems to implicate the 18-year-old in multiple vehicle break-ins that have been occurring across the city.

Dickey, 19, faces a felony warrant for aggravated assault for the shooting incident, three additional counts of felony aggravated assault, felony aggravated battery and felony possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

“The Valdosta Police Department recognizes the excellent work by uniformed patrol officers and detectives working together to safely handle a dangerous and tense situation. By the combined effort of the citizen who provided the information and law enforcement, several dangerous offenders were taken off the street and no one was injured,” Bembry said.