A 911 call on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, brought Atkinson County deputies to Wright Road in rural Axson, Georgia, where 27-year-old Johan Romero of Pearson was found unresponsive in his car. Romero had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was asked to take the lead on the death investigation.

Investigators focused on 32-year-old Pablo Miranda, also of Pearson, after collecting physical evidence at the scene and information from interviews. A search warrant was executed at a residence on Bullard Avenue in Pearson with assistance from Willacoochee and Pearson police. Miranda was arrested and booked into the Atkinson County Jail on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, and faces charges including Malice Murder, Felony Murder, and Aggravated Assault. The investigation is ongoing.

If anyone in the Axson or Pearson area has information about Romero or the events leading up to April 30, please come forward.