CRIME & SAFETY

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WHLT) – Hattiesburg police are working to find a runaway teen. Police said Lamekha Vanburen, 14, of Hattiesburg, ran away from her home on Penton Street around 9:00 p.m. on Monday, May 29. Investigators said they do not know what she was wearing last. If anyone has any information on Vanburen’s whereabouts, contact […]

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - A Petal man wanted on an active warrant turned himself in to the police on Tuesday. According to the Hattiesburg Police Department, 27-year-old Christopher McNair was wanted on a warrant in relation to three incidents of forgery and uttering - using counterfeit checks from an auto dealership in Mobile and depositing the checks into his account on April 3, 2023. McNair is not affiliated with the auto dealership.

JONES COUNTY, Miss. (WHLT) – Jones County deputies are working to find a missing 15-year-old girl. Laiveon Page is described as 5’5″ in height, weighs 150 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. According to deputies, she was last seen on Tuesday, May 30 at her home on Shady Oak Road in the Soso area. […]

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - A Hattiesburg man wanted on a warrant for domestic violence is now in custody. According to the Hattiesburg Police Department, 22-year-old David LeKevin Richardson was located and taken into custody on Friday in Lauderdale County. He was brought back to Hattiesburg on Tuesday and booked into the Forrest County Adult Detention Center.

The Jones County Sheriff’s Department is seeking the whereabouts of Laiveon Page, age 15. She is described as a Black female, approximately 5’ 5” in height, weighing approximately 150lbs., with black hair, and brown eyes. She was last seen on Tuesday afternoon at her residence on Shady Oak Road in the Soso area.

JONES COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - The Jones County Board of Supervisors said someone accused of dumping tires in Jones County over the past year was caught at a different location. Johnny Burnett, the board of supervisor president, said he found a man allegedly dumping tires off of MS Highway 15 in the Shady Grove area.

JONES COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - Law enforcement in Jones County made an arrest over the weekend that could lead to an investigation into a possible dog fighting ring. According to the Jones County Sheriff’s Department, 27-year-old Dontrelle Keyes of Richton was arrested on Friday, May 26, and charged with dog fighting after leading deputies on a foot chase through a wooded area.

STONE COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - A man from Sumrall died Tuesday morning in a crash on U.S. Highway 49 in Stone County. According to the Mississippi Highway Patrol, the deceased was identified as 26-year-old Lawson Bond. MHP said it responded to the fatal crash at approximately 5 a.m. A 2019...

NEW AUGUSTA, Miss. (WDAM) - The dispatch center at the Perry County Sheriff’s Office has gotten a facelift of sorts. The Perry County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page lists some of the improvements and renovations done to the dispatch space over the past few months. Among the new features:

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - A Hattiesburg man was sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Nicholas Walker, 39, was given 125 months for selling more than 220 grams of methamphetamine after pleading guilty on Feb. 16. The sentence was announced Thursday...

JONES COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - Memorial Day brings families together to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. People will mark the occasion by grilling out, playing in the pool and drinking. It’s a weekend with an increased presence of law enforcement, the Jones County Sheriff’s Department...

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - The Hattiesburg Fire Department responded to a vehicle fire at a gas station Wednesday evening. Firefighters arrived on scene around 4:30 p.m. in the 4000 block of U.S. Highway 11. The fire department evacuated the area and secured and contained the fire. An official said there...

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - The Hattiesburg Police Department announced that 20-year-old Zachary Smith has been located and is safe. Want more WDAM 7 news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

JONES COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - Bond has been set for the suspect involved in the Lone Oak Apartments shooting that injured a man earlier this week. Jashawn Solomon, a.k.a. “Big Cali,” made his initial appearance in Jones County Justice Court Friday afternoon, where he received a $150,000 bond on the charges that came from Wednesday morning’s incident.

Hattiesburg Fire Department responds to vehicle fire at U.S. 11 Circle K. "One Lake" plan concerns Pine Belt residents along the Pearl River. A plan to widen the Pearl River to help alleviate flooding in Jackson has Pine Belt neighbors concerned about possible downstream impacts. Banners to honor local vets.

JONES COUNTY, Miss. (WHLT) – Jones County deputies arrested a man in connection to a shooting at an apartment complex. Deputies said they received a tip about the location of Jashawn Solomon, 22. He was arrested at the Lone Oak Apartments complex on Thursday, May 25. Investigators said Solomon will be charged with aggravated assault […]

JONES COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - It’s been a busy day for Jones County volunteer firefighters. According to Jones County Fire Council Public Information Officer Dana Bumgardner, Glade and Powers volunteer fire departments responded to a single-vehicle collision at 473 Orange Drive in the Glade community at 1:15 pm. Once...

JONES COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - Jones County Sheriff’s Department narcotics investigators arrested four people this week. According to JCSD, the arrests were made following a traffic stop and narcotics search warrant at a residence on Highway 184 in eastern Jones County late on Tuesday night and into the early morning hours of Wednesday.

JONES COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - A suspect is wanted after seriously injuring a man in a shooting at a Jones County apartment complex overnight Tuesday. According to the Jones County Sheriff’s Department, deputies responded to the incident at Lone Oak Apartments in the Hoy Community. The sheriff’s department said the suspect fled the scene before law enforcement arrived.

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WHLT) – Hattiesburg police are investigating after a pedestrian was killed after being hit by a vehicle. The incident happened on Thursday, May 18 around 8:00 p.m. near the intersection of Edwards Street and Barkley Road. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the male victim. He died from his injuries. Police […]