John Russell Carver Arrested in Connection with Church Assault

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. -- DeKalb County police said they have made an arrest in the Feb. 26 sexual assault at St. Timothy United Methodist Church in Stone Mountain.

John Russell Carver, 55, faces charges of rape, armed robbery and aggravated assault. Investigators said Carver was arrested following a positive DNA hit by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Police said a woman was beaten and sexually assaulted at the church.

"My question is, why are we so reactive, rather than proactive when it comes to crime in our area?" one woman asked the crowd.

Residents, along with several local and state leaders, attended the meeting.

DeKalb County Public Safety Director William Miller led a community meeting at the church after the attack and told the crowd about a new proposal in the county that would require all new businesses to install surveillance cameras before they could be issued a building permit.

"That would help us like you wouldn't believe, an image that we could use," Miller said at the meeting.

Carver is being held at the Fulton County Jail.