Around the Region: Sibling Argument Leads to Stabbing, Second Rare Bacterial Infection and Woman Admits to Stealing $1 Million in Benefits

 — John's Creek Patch

A 15-year-old in John's Creek was arrested for allegedly stabbing his brother after being accused of taking over-the counter pills to get high.

According to witnesses the two brothers began arguing while walking a dog. The father of the boys stated he was upstairs asleep when he heard his wife screaming, he then saw one of his sons lying on the ground bleeding from his chest and his other son holding the knife.

A police report states that officers arrived to find a female holding a towel to the upper right side of the chest of one of the boys. Paramedics then arrived at the scene and the suspect was apprehended by officers. The weapon, in this case a knife, was found in the kitchen sink.

 — Snellville Patch

The cause of a second infection involving a rare bacteria in Gwinnett appears to have come from the family dog. According to the Gwinnett Daily Post, Hannah Rinehart, a patient care technician at Dekalb Medical Center in Hillandale, is the latest victim of this bacteria and recently underwent surgery to amputate her hands and lower legs. Rinehart's husband Mark is a South Gwinnett math teacher.

Reports indicate that Rinehart's infection was not caused by the same bacteria as Aimee Copeland's infection. Copeland, a Gwinnett resident, contracted a bacterial infection after a zip line accident and subsequently underwent amputations as well.

"It is unbelievable that something so rare can hit a community twice in one summer," said Mayor Kelly Kautz in an email to Snellville Patch.  "My thoughts and prayers go out to this family."

 — Fort Stewart Patch

The Fort Stewart Patch is reporting that a Savannah woman has recently plead guilty to stealing more than $1 million in federal assistance funds. The woman was apparently part of a group that used 13 storefront operations across the state of Georgia to illegally exchange food stamps and other benefits for cash.

On Wednesday, July 25, Latricia Allen of Savannah, Jewel Allen of Atlanta and Petrina Barge of Decatur entered guilty pleas in the case. These three suspects join Sabrina Sesberry and her husband Rupert Jones of Atlanta who had previously plead guilty to the conspiracy.