Mother of slain Stone Mountain father struggles to find ‘peace’ after arrest

Arrest made in deadly Stone Mountain apartment shooting

In mid-January 2026, DeKalb County authorities arrested 24-year-old Juan Carlos Martinez Zambrano for the December 12, 2025, fatal shooting of Christopher Blake Verdell. The incident occurred at an apartment complex on Woodbend Drive in Stone Mountain, where the gunman opened fire after pounding on a door, killing Verdell—known as Blake—and wounding his friend, Martin Haynes.

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. - The mother of Christopher Blake Verdell says that despite DeKalb County deputies arresting a man in the shooting death of the young father at a Stone Mountain apartment complex last month, her son's death still remains hard.

Wood Bend Drive deadly shooting

What we know:

Juan Carlos Martinez-Zambrano was taken into custody early Friday morning. Investigators identify him as the gunman who shot and killed Christopher Blake Verdell on Dec. 12. Martinez-Zambrano now faces charges of murder and aggravated assault. He is currently being held at the DeKalb County Jail without bond.

The deadly shooting happened around 7:45 pm. On Dec. 12 in the 1700 block of Wood Bend Drive. According to the DeKalb County Police Department, officers found Christopher Verdell and Martin Hines suffering from serious gunshot wounds. Both were rushed to an area hospital, where Verdell later died from his injuries. According to arrest warrants, Martinez-Zambrano allegedly shot Hines at a nearby apartment within the same complex during the same incident.

For weeks, the shooter remained at large as investigators worked to identify a suspect. The search for Martinez-Zambrano eventually turned into a multi-agency manhunt involving the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit, the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Marshals. The 24-year-old suspect was finally located and taken into custody on Jan. 16 at an apartment complex on Harbor Point Court in Lawrenceville.

Christopher Blake Verdell's mother: ‘Today has been very hard’

What they're saying:

According to the victim’s mother, Angela Brooks, her son, who went by his middle name, Blake, was visiting his friend, Martin Hines, when someone pounded on the apartment door. Brooks said Blake opened the door and the gunman immediately opened fire.

Hines was wounded in the attack, but Blake died a short time later.

For Brooks, the arrest follows weeks of grief and uncertainty. "Today has been very hard," she said. "I’ve been trying not to cry all day. When you lose your only son, you have to find a new meaning for life."

The arrest comes just weeks after the holiday season, a timing that added to the family's struggle. Brooks said investigators called her immediately after the Friday morning arrest.

"They locked him up and arrested him early in the morning," Brooks said. "I was ecstatic."

While the arrest brings a sense of closure, Brooks acknowledged that the legal developments cannot undo her loss. However, she expressed relief that the suspect is no longer at large.

"The fact that he’s off the street now gives me peace," Brooks said. "Just to know nobody else can get hurt, nobody’s child will be killed."

What we don't know:

DeKalb County investigators have not yet released a motive for the shooting.