Murder suspect identified after dropping passport at crime scene, police say

When police in metro Atlanta began trying to identify the shooter in a homicide last week, they found a few clues on the scene: a passport and cell phone.

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Both turned out to belong to Sanjay Stewartson, a 28-year-old DeKalb County man, who is now charged with murder, according to a warrant released Tuesday.

The shooting happened on May 8 at a shopping plaza in Lithonia, not far from the town’s high school

Investigators believe Stewartson fought with the victim, a man whose identity remains unknown, and shot him twice at about 10:30 a.m.

Credit: DeKalb County Jail

Credit: DeKalb County Jail

The suspect then fled on foot, dropping the passport and phone in the process, the warrant says.

The photo on the passport allegedly matched the suspect description a witness gave to police. The cell phone contained text messages that detectives believe show Stewartson arguing with the victim over marijuana and threatening him.

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Stewartson was booked in the county jail on Monday and also faces a family violence accusation from late March.

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