A man being sought by local authorities for more than two years was arrested last week in Texas. And once again, Putnam County Sheriff Sills repeated his sentiments of the state’s justice system being at fault.
Joshua Youngblood, 36, of Ponce De Leon Circle, Macon, is in Putnam County Jail facing charges of special presentment bench warrant – obstruction of an officer, aggravated assault; bench warrant – four counts aggravated battery, obstruction of an officer; two counts aggravated assault, one count aggravated battery against a law enforcement officer when engaged on official duty; home invasion – first degree; two counts felony theft by taking; four counts willful obstruction of law enforcement officers by use of threats or violence.
Youngblood was in Putnam County’s jail in 2021 facing those charges, Sills said. He was also on probation at the time for some previous convictions of possession of cocaine and marijuana with intent to distribute.
Before his court date, his probation was revoked, and Youngblood was sent to state prison on April 15, 2021. At that time, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office put a hold on him, so that after Youngblood served his time in state prison, he would be returned to PCSO to face his charges in court.
“But they didn’t pay attention to that and they turned him loose on July 24, 2021, and then they admitted that they made a mistake,” Sills said.
With Youngblood’s whereabouts unknown, Sills said he called the U.S. Marshals Service to help find Youngblood. On Oct. 31, Sills was notified that Youngblood had been caught in Denton, Texas, and was being held there for PCSO.
“He’s a badass, so we couldn’t fly him here, and he’s got health problems that require injections, so a contract service wanted too much money to do it,” Sills said. “So (PCSO Sgt. Justin) Brock had to go out there and get him and drive him back. It’s the state – everything they do costs us money.”
The sheriff said that when Youngblood was in Putnam’s jail in 2021, he had injured Deputy Scott Owens, actually broke Owens’ leg, “and Owens was out of work for quite a while for it to heal,” Sills noted.
“Youngblood’s family is Nuwaubian and he was raised that way and we’ve been dealing with him for years,” Sills said. “He sometimes even goes by the name “Malachi” after his master (Malachi York).”