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'For some reason, she loved him': Father of missing Macon woman's children appears in court, faces four domestic violence charges

The Bibb County Sheriff's Office says none of the charges relate directly to Gabriella Dixon's disappearance.

MACON, Ga. — A Macon family is still searching for answers — and their daughter — who disappeared nine days ago.

Gabrella Searcy feels investigators aren't doing enough to find her daughter, Gabriella Dixon.

"I knew an individual that had a misdemeanor, and they had about 50 police officers go out. My daughter's missing and I don't see a single cop," Searcy said.

The sheriff's office says they're investigating what happened to Dixon, and where she might be.

While they investigated Wednesday, the father of Dixon's children faced a judge. Reginald Harris faces four domestic violence charges, but the Bibb County Sheriff's Office says none of them relate directly to Dixon's disappearance.

His arrest warrants show a history of alleged domestic violence that stretch back nearly two months before she went missing.

"Once it dawned on me that she was really missing, I just felt like I was in a whirlwind. Everything was just spinning and everything was just crashing down all around me," Searcy said.

Nine days into the search, Searcy tries her hardest to keep things together for the little ones, ages 2 and 10 months old.

"Layla, she still asks for her mother. Every day. She asks for her father. And I asked my husband, 'What do we tell them? What do we do?'" Searcy said.

Those impossible questions got more difficult Wednesday when Harris appeared in court.

"Do you understand the four charges sir, being presented against you?" Judge Jerome Sinclair asked Harris. 

"Yes, sir," he replied.

Credit: BSO
The father of Dixon's children, Reginald Harris, is in jail on tampering with evidence and family violence charges.

All of the charges allege violence against Dixon. According to one warrant, Harris followed Dixon's car down Old Clinton Road Sept. 3. He shot at her, and her children inside, the warrant says.

"She called me, and I went to pick her up from the police station. And she told me where he was shooting at her, and the boyfriend and the children," Searcy said.

Just three weeks later, warrants show another incident at the couple's downtown Macon apartment. It says Harris choked Dixon and pointed a gun at her.

"I honestly can't say that I know there were lots of incidents, only the few times that she called me," Searcy explained.

Those few times were enough for Searcy to tell her daughter to leave Harris, but she says it didn't happen soon enough.

"I would question, 'Why?' This is a situation that you don't have to be in. But for some reason, she loved him," Searcy said.

In all, Harris faces five counts of aggravated assault, one count of battery and one count of terroristic threats.

If you or someone you love is experiencing domestic violence, help is within reach. Crisis Line and Safe House of Central Georgia has a 24/7 hotline at (478) 745-9292. You can also call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-7233 or text 'START' to 88788.

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