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Effingham County Sheriff's Office reports Aug. 15
N1710P29006C

July 31

Failure to Maintain Lane; No Insurance; Suspended License Plate

A woman was seen failing to maintain her lane and not wearing her seatbelt while driving down the road. A background check revealed that her vehicle had no valid insurance and a suspended registration. The woman admitted to not paying for the insurance or the registration. She was released from the scene with a co-worker, and her vehicle was towed by a local wrecker service. The reporting officer was Danny Harrington.

Domestic Dispute; Animal Complaint

A woman advised that her husband was abusive and that she wanted to leave him. She said that he was controlling who she could call and that she had to use her son’s phone to contact police. The husband said that he did not mind if she left. While police were at the scene, the husband’s dog attempted to bite an officer, and it had to be kicked three times and restrained. The husband stated that he wanted the dog picked up due to its aggressive nature. The reporting officer was Tonya Hodges.

Theft by Receiving Stolen Property-Felony; Obstructing or Hindering Law Enforcement Officers; Possession of Marijuana Less than One Ounce; Possession and Use of Drug Related Objects; Wanted Person-Warrant Service

A woman stated that she found a needle inside of her daughter’s cooler. The daughter’s father confirmed this and said that he caught the daughter handling the cooler in a ditch. The woman added that the daughter had stolen the cooler and that she had left the scene with a man. It was later revealed, however, that the woman had lied and that the daughter was actually in the woods behind the residence. After a brief chase, the daughter was placed under arrest. She was found to have many stolen items in her possession, including marijuana. The woman was also arrested for lying to police. The reporting officer was Justin Hynko.

Computer Theft; Theft by Taking-Felony; Identity Theft Fraud to Create/Use/Possess

A woman advised that someone had hacked into her bank account and transferred over $2,000. She was able to work the situation out with her bank, but she was unsure as to who hacked into her account. The reporting officer was Robert Elliott Petitt.

Aug. 1

Miscellaneous Incident

An unknown informant stated that a student had posted several violent images on social media. The pictures included blood, weapons and a pentagram. The student admitted to the postings but said that he did not want to harm anyone. He was advised to speak with his school’s consular. The reporting officer was Adam Harmon.

DUI-Driving Under the Influence of Drugs; Endangering a Child by Driving Under the Influence of Drugs

A woman stated that she had gotten into a head-on collision with another driver and that she had received a cut above her right eye. The other driver had not been injured. The woman denied responsibly for the accident, but it was noted that she appeared to be under the influence of drugs. It was also noted that three children in the woman’s truck had not been restrained. The woman was eventually taken to a local hospital for evaluation. The other driver later gave her side of the story, and it was determined that the woman who had been taken to the hospital was at fault. The woman was ultimately placed under arrest after being discharged from the hospital. Both vehicles were removed from the scene by a local wrecker service. The reporting officer was Jason Fondren.

Theft by Taking-Felony

A man stated that he woke up to discover that his vehicle had been stolen from his driveway. He contacted some friends and was informed that his vehicle had been involved in a crash. The vehicle’s location was eventually confirmed, whereupon it was revealed that it was not in driving condition. It was also revealed that the thief fled the scene of the accident and that the vehicle was in the possession of a towing company. The reporting officer was Kristopher Withem.

Aug. 2

Domestic Dispute; Wanted Person-Warrant Service

A man advised that a female acquaintance had hit his mother with her car while the acquaintance was collecting some belongings from the man’s home. The mother and the acquaintance had previously gotten into an argument over the latter’s mental state. While the female could not be located at the time, the man was revealed to have several active warrants, and he was swiftly arrested. The reporting officer was Christopher Cary.

Disorderly Conduct

A woman advised that while she was talking to her son’s school bus driver, a driver pulled up behind to bus and started yelling obscenities. She was unsure as to who the driver was. The reporting officer was Kristopher Withem.

Traffic Complaint/Violation; Possession of Methamphetamine; Possession of Marijuana Less than One Ounce; Possession and Use of Drug Related Objects

A man was seen failing to make a proper turn or use his turn signal. It was noted that his vehicle smelled strongly of marijuana, though he denied having any in his possession. A search of his vehicle, however, yielded small amounts of marijuana and methamphetamine. The man was arrested, and his vehicle was towed by a local wrecker service. The reporting officer was Christopher Cary.

Failure to Maintain Lane; Giving False Name, Address or Birthdate to Law Enforcement

A woman was spotted failing to maintain her proper lane as she was driving down the road. When asking for information from her male passenger, he initially gave false information but ultimately revealed his real name. He was placed under arrest, and he never gave a reason for lying to the police. The reporting officer was Christopher Cary.

Aug. 3

Disorderly Conduct

A man stated that he and his wife had gotten into a verbal altercation over the wife’s infertility. The wife, however, claimed that the two were not married and that the fight was over unfaithfulness. It was noted that the man smelled strongly of alcoholic beverages and that he appeared to be under the influence. They both said that the fight was never physical, but the “wife” noted that she wanted the man out of the house. She was advised to go through the proper channels. The reporting officer was Isaac Taylor.

Neighbor Complaint

A man stated that his neighbor threw a water bottle at him after he told the neighbor to stay out of his yard. The neighbor, however, said that the man had made threatening comments toward the neighbor’s dog and mother which is how the fight started. He added that the water bottle accidently slipped out of his hands and that he did not intentionally throw it. Both parties agreed to separate for the time being. The reporting officer was Max Barber.

Disorderly Persons

A man stated that his neighbor was yelling obscenities toward his children while they were outside in the yard. The neighbor admitted to doing this and agreed to not do it in the future. The reporting officer was Karyn Witherington.

Aug. 4

Agency Assist

A man stated that he was having trouble handling a subject who was being uncooperative. After several minutes of not being cooperative, the subject attempted to fight and was subsequently tasered. He was then placed under arrest. The reporting officer was Matt Smith.

Simple Battery- Family Violence; Obstructing or Hindering Persons Making Emergency Contact

A man stated that he and his girlfriend had been drinking and arguing over personal issues. When she attempted to call 911, he grabbed the phone away from her because he did not want to be separated from his child. The girlfriend confirmed this series of events and added that her shirt had been torn. The man was swiftly arrested a short time later. The reporting officer was Robert Elliott Petitt.

Driving While License Suspended or Revoked (Misdemeanor); Possession of Open Alcohol Container

A man was seen drinking a beer while leaving the parking lot of a store in a vehicle. He admitted to drinking the beer, and it was also revealed that his license had been suspended for child support obligations. He was arrested, and his vehicle was towed by a local wrecker service. The reporting officer was Max Barber.

No Tag; Driving While License Suspended or Revoked (Misdemeanor)

A woman was spotted driving down the road with an expired license. She admitted to not having a valid license and was placed under arrest. She contacted a family member to collect her vehicle and her children. The reporting officer was Karyn Witherington.

Aug. 5

Possession and Use of Drug Related Objects

A couple who had been accused of going from door to door and begging for money were spotted driving down the road in a vehicle that smelled strongly of marijuana. The female admitted to knocking on the doors but denied having marijuana in the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed a smoking device, and the couple was swiftly arrested. Their vehicle was towed by a local wrecker service. The reporting officer was Matt Smith.

Terroristic Threats and/or Acts

A woman advised that during an argument with her husband over breakfast, the husband threatened to kill their grandson and swung a cane at him. The grandson confirmed this story and provided audio recording. The husband later admitted to the comments and was arrested. The reporting officer was Robert Elliott Petitt.

Disorderly Conduct

A man was being extremely uncooperative with police during a welfare check. After becoming irate and failing to lower his voice, he was swiftly placed under arrest. The reporting officer was Matt Smith.

Criminal Trespass- Property Damage

A woman advised that during an argument with her boyfriend, he broke a fishing pole and pushed her to the ground. It was noted that the woman had visible marks on her face. The boyfriend was swiftly arrested a short time later. The reporting officer was Cody Chapman.


Aug. 6

Burglary-First Degree (Felony); Criminal Trespass

A man stated that someone had stolen several items out of his residence and shed while he was at work. The missing items included two cell phones and a weed eater. He was unsure of who had committed the robbery. The reporting officer was Karyn Witherington.

DUI-Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol; Disorderly Conduct

A man stated that he had got into an argument with his girlfriend and that he left the scene in his vehicle even though he had been drinking. It was later revealed, however, that he had been sober enough to drive. The girlfriend was soon located in her vehicle where it was discovered that she drank enough to be considered intoxicated. She was placed under arrest, and her vehicle was driven back to her residence. The reporting officer was Karyn Witherington.