Lavonia Woman Facing Charges After Suspected Kidnapping

A Lavonia woman is facing charges in Toccoa-Stephens County in what authorities at first thought were a possible case of kidnapping.

It happened last week, according to Police Chief Jimmy Mize.

Mize said that on March 22, officers from the Toccoa Police Department responded to a home on Lilly Lane in reference to the report of a possible kidnapping.

When they got there, officers found the resident of the home lying on the floor.

She told officers that she had been punched and knocked to the floor by a woman, later identified as 37-year-old Tamara Merriett, of Lavonia.

The victim claimed Merriett had assaulted her and taken a 14-year-old child from the residence. Mize said officers were able to obtain Merriett’s address in Hart County.

Hart County law enforcement arrested Merriett and she was taken to Toccoa where Toccoa Officers took her into custody.

After further investigation, officers discovered that Merriett was, in fact, the 14-year-old’s mother, and that Merriett did have legal custody of the child; therefore no kidnapping had occurred.

However, Merriett was charged with aggravated battery against the homeowner in Toccoa.

She was also charged with three counts of cruelty to children in the third degree because the incident happened in front of three children.