Ga. Man Allegedly Killed Daughter's Mother and Her Boyfriend During Custody Exchange: Reports

Marquez Smith is accused of fatally shooting Desiree Cash and Craig Joshua Thomas on Sunday

Marquez Smith charged after allegedly killing ex Desiree Cash and boyfriend during heated custody exchange
Marquez Smith. Photo: Newton County Sheriff's Office

A man allegedly shot the mother of his child and her boyfriend during a custody exchange in Georgia on Sunday.

The violence occurred at about 6:15 p.m. near Covington, about 30 miles southeast of Atlanta, when Newton County Sheriff's deputies responded to reports of a person shot at a home on Pebble Lane, according to FOX 5, citing police.

When deputies arrived, they found Desiree Cash, 33, and Craig Joshua Thomas, 29, with gunshot wounds, Channel 2 Action News and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

The Newton County Sheriff's Office did not immediately return PEOPLE's request for comment.

Authorities told Channel 2 that when the 15-year-old daughter refused to go inside with her father, identified as Marquez Smith, he allegedly shot Cash and Thomas inside their vehicle.

Thomas initially tried to drive away before crashing into a mailbox, according to WXIA-TV, citing deputies.

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A seven-month-old baby was also inside the vehicle but was unharmed, FOX 5 reported.

Smith then allegedly fled the scene after the shooting, police told the station, before turning himself in to the sheriff's office hours later.

Smith has been charged with two counts of felony murder, two counts of felony aggravated assault, one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, two counts of cruelty to children and one count of violating parole, per FOX 5.

It was not immediately clear if he has retained an attorney or entered pleas to the charges against him.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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