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Effingham County Sheriff's Office reports Jan. 17 edition
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Dec. 31

Battery; Wanted Person-Warrant Service

A man stated that he was entertaining a female friend in his parents’ shed when two assailants barged in and hit him multiple times in the face. He sustained minor injuries to his left eye. One of the assailants stated that he was actually the one who was entertaining the female and that the man barged in on him to argue with said female. The man and the alleged assailant began to physically fight for several minutes before the man retreated to his residence. It was later discovered that the alleged assailant had an outstanding warrant and he was placed under arrest. Due to conflicting stories, it is unknown who was entertaining the female. The reporting officer was Kathy Dillard.

Jan. 2

Domestic Dispute

A woman stated that a man and his daughter got into a verbal argument over dirty dishes. The woman stepped in when the man aggressively grabbed his daughter. The man grabbed the woman as well and she responded by biting him on the chest. The man and his daughter’s boyfriend both confirmed this story. The woman, daughter and boyfriend all agreed to leave the residence and spend the night at a neighbor’s house. The reporting officer was William West.

Affray (Fighting)

A man stated that an unknown vehicle began circling his house for no apparent reason. The driver began to curse before getting out of his car and throwing the man to the ground. He then kicked the man in the face three times before getting back into his car and leaving. His eye was very swollen, and emergency medical services were called to the scene. The driver told a similar story but said that the man started the altercation by calling him derogatory names. The driver was advised to leave the scene. The reporting officer was Max Barber.

Disorderly Conduct

A man stated that he and his brother had gotten into a physical argument. The argument was over the amount of food that the brother was consuming. During the fight, a bedroom door ended up being broken down. After the incident, their mother arrived on the scene and was informed of the situation. Both parties said that there were no hard feelings, and the man advised that he would be willing to drive his brother home. The reporting officer was Kristopher Withem.

Jan. 3

Theft by Taking-Felony; Theft by Receiving Stolen Property-Misdemeanor

A woman stated that her former daughter-in-law had stolen two checks from her. It occurred when the daughter-in-law went to pick up her child from the woman’s house. The value of the checks totaled to over $550. At some point, a man notified the woman that he had been given the checks. He could not be contacted. The reporting officer was Malcom Foy.

Jan. 4

Simple Assault; Theft by Conversion

A woman stated that she and her husband had previously gotten into a verbal argument. During the argument, the husband started to act violent and break several items. He then left the residence with the woman’s cell phone. After he left, he began to continuously call and text the woman with messages of suicide. The husband was later found driving at a high rate of speed in icy conditions. He agreed to give the phone back to the woman. The reporting officer was John Preston Morris.

Domestic Dispute; Disorderly Person

A woman stated that her separated husband went to her house and started to yell profanity at her for no reason. He then threw a gallon of milk into the garbage. She noted that he had always been abusive and that this was not the first incident. She also said that he constantly steals. The husband could not be located. The reporting officer was Dawn DeVoss.

Jan. 5

Harassing Communications

A woman stated that a man who claimed to work for a home improvement company had been calling her at inconvenient times. On one occasion, he called her a derogatory name and said that he knew what type of car she drove. The man could not be contacted. The reporting officer was Dawn DeVoss.

Printing, Executing and Negotiating Checks, Drafts Etc.; Knowing of Illegal Activity

A woman stated that several of her checks had gone missing along with more than $300 out of her bank account. She confronted her son’s friend who was staying at her residence. He admitted to the allegations and paid her the stolen money. She said that she wanted him out of her house and in jail if possible. The reporting officer was Bobby McCloud.

Interfere with Custody (Interstate or Intrastate)

A woman stated that her child’s father went to her house and took the child without permission. She tried to retrieve the child from the father’s vehicle, but the father pushed her away and drove off at a high rate of speed. She noted that the father has a bad temper and is not legitimized. The father denied pushing the woman but admitted to not being legitimate. He also said that he could not call the woman in advance because of a death in his family. He later said that he would contact the woman at a later date to sort things out. The reporting officer was Tonya Hodges.

Entering Automobile or Other Motor Vehicle with Intent to Commit a Crime; Theft by Taking- Felony

A man stated that his wife’s car had been stolen the previous evening. He also said that the door of his vehicle was ajar. The wife advised that she had her keys in the house on the night in question. No one was identified for the crime, but the wife said that she would check her neighbor’s security cameras at a later date. The reporting officer was Max Barber.

Entering Automobile or Other Motor Vehicle with Intent to Commit a Crime; Theft by Taking- Misdemeanor ($500 or Less)

A man advised that someone had stolen his prescription pain killers. He said that he believed that the pills were stolen by a family member out of his wife’s purse while they were talking with a coroner about his deceased uncle. None of the family members could be contacted. The reporting officer was John Reinhart.

Jan. 6

Aggravated Assault; Criminal Damage to Property-First Degree; Hit and Run- Duty of Driver to Stop at or Return to Scene of Incident

A man stated that he was picking up a friend when a driver rammed into the driver’s side door of his car as hard as he could. The driver tried to hit the man’s vehicle a second time, but the man managed to drive away before that could happen. The driver eventually left the area but not before shooting the man the bird. The man said that he had previously worked with the driver and that they did not get along very well. The friend of the man supported this story. The ground was covered in tire tracks, and a rear-view mirror was found nearby. The driver denied any involvement in the incident. The reporting officer was Tonya Hodges.

Jan. 7

DUI-Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol; Failure to Maintain Lane; Possession of Alcohol by Minor

A man was spotted swerving across the road and abruptly breaking on several occasions. He stated that his driving was the result of lack of sleep. He denied being under the influence of alcohol. When a cooler full of beer was found in the bed of the truck, the man admitted to previously being at a party where he consumed multiple alcoholic beverages. He failed a field sobriety test and was swiftly arrested. His vehicle was collected by a local wrecker service. The reporting officer was Kristopher Withem.

Fleeing or Attempting to Elude

A woman was seen driving a vehicle with a suspended license and an improper tag. She refused to stop for police and proceeded to travel at a high rate of speed in icy conditions. She eventually spun out of control and came to a stop after hitting a guard rail. She and a passenger were both placed under arrest. The woman said that she did not stop because she believed that she had an outstanding warrant. The passenger was released from the scene, and the vehicle was towed by a local wrecker service. The reporting officer was John Preston Morris.

Burglary-First Degree (Felony)

A man advised that he returned to his house to find the front door ajar. When he entered the home, he discovered that his bedroom had been ransacked and that several items had been stolen. The missing items included multiple firearms and two televisions. The man named his neighbors and two people who had done work on his house as likely suspects. He also noted that it was the second burglary to take place on his property in a month. No one was found in the immediate area. The reporting officer was John Preston Morris.

Theft by Shoplifting- Misdemeanor; Possession and Use of Drug Related Objects; Drugs Not in Original Container- Misdemeanor

A woman stated that she observed a shoplifter placing items in her purse while shopping at the store where she works. She contacted police who detained that shoplifter. The stolen items were given back to the woman. The shoplifter said that she did not mean to take the items and appeared to be very agitated as she answered questions. It was later discovered that she had a syringe and several different pills in her purse. She admitted to being under the influence of the pills and was swiftly arrested. The reporting officer was Kristopher Withem.