15-year-old Newton County hit-and-run victim identified; arrest made

Teen arrested in hit-and-run

In newton county, a 17-year-old is behind bars arrested for a hit and run that left a 15-year-old dead

NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. - A GoFundMe campaign is raising money to help the family of 15-year-old Dominic Flowers, who was killed in a hit-and-run earlier this month in Newton County.

According to the fundraising page, Flowers died on June 2. The effort, started by his cousin, is seeking $5,000 to cover funeral and burial expenses. As of now, it has raised $1,400.

ORIGINAL STORY: 15-year-old Covington teen killed by hit-and-run driver Monday night

What we know:

Deputies responded to a call around 10:30 p.m. that night about a pedestrian struck on Highway 36, just south of Hummingbird Lane. When they arrived, they found a teenager deceased in the roadway.

At the time of the incident, the sheriff's office only knew that a pearl white car was possibly involved.

Joseph Germay Ghebraamlak (Newton County Sheriff's Office)

On Thursday, they announced that they had arrested 17-year-old Joseph Ghebraamlak of Gwinnett County. He is currently facing charges of first-degree vehicular homicide and hit-and-run. He was booked into the Newton County Detention Center after his arrest. At this time, a mug shot is not available. It will be supplied at a later time, according to the sheriff's office. 

What they're saying:

Family members say the arrest brings a measure of relief after days of heartbreak and unanswered questions.

"It was horrifying to hear, honestly," said Andre Ross, Flowers’ cousin.

Dominic Flowers. Courtesy of GoFundMe

Ross said the teen had been out late that night and was likely walking when he was hit.

"We can only assume that someone didn't see him in enough time to avoid it," Ross said. "And he was gone. That was it. He was gone."

Investigators said the driver fled the scene, leaving Flowers critically injured. His family said the hardest part was knowing no one stopped to help.

"First thought is, why didn't you call?" Ross said. "Maybe you could have saved his life. You never know."