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Effingham County Sheriff's Office reports Jan. 3 edition
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Dec. 15

Aggravated Assault; Criminal Trespass- Property Damage

A man stated that his girlfriend was acting erratic. He had confronted her about her illegal drug use, and she became extremely irate. The girlfriend claimed that he was lying about the incident. It was noted that a mirror and a window had been shattered which the man said the girlfriend was responsible. The girlfriend was quickly arrested. The drugs could not be recovered because she had flushed them down the toilet. She was taken to the hospital for injuries to her hand. The reporting officer was Max Barber.

Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Police for an Illegal Reason; Theft by Receiving Property Stolen in Another State-Felony; Theft by Bringing Stolen Property into State- Felony

An anonymous source stated that a man had stolen a vehicle in South Carolina and was fleeing toward the Georgia state line. He was driving at an extremely high rate of speed which put the lives of other motorists in jeopardy. Despite having one of his tires blown by a set of spike strips, he continued to drive at a dangerous rate of speed. After his windshield became covered in smoke an oil, he crashed into a tree which disabled the vehicle. He began to flee on foot, so several K9 units were deployed to stop him. They found him, and he began to fight with one of the K9 units after it bit him. After a brief struggle, he was placed under arrest. He was transported to a local hospital for a mental checkup, and the vehicle was released to the car dealership from which it was stolen. The reporting officer was Jason Fondren.

Dec. 17

Illegal Dumping

A man stated that a woman had dumped her junk mail in a local cemetery where many of his relatives are buried. He added that he must clean the cemetery every few months because of similar incidents. The woman could not be contacted. The reporting officer was Dawn DeVoss.

Dec. 18

Burglary-First Degree (Felony); theft by Taking- Felony

A man stated that while he was out of town on business, his friend, who was supposed to be fixing his truck, entered his home without his permission. One of the missing items was a handgun. The friend later made a post on social media saying that he took the items because the man damaged his motorcycle and never fixed it. The friend could not be contacted. The reporting officer was Justin Hynko.

Dec. 19

No Insurance

An unknown informant advised that a woman was failing to maintain her proper lane. She admitted to texting behind the wheel and to taking prescription medication. A background check revealed that the vehicle’s insurance had been cancelled. The vehicle was towed, and the woman was driven to a local residence. The reporting officer was Paul Davis.

Possession of a Schedule III Controlled Substance; Possession of a Schedule IV Controlled Substance

A woman was seen driving down the road with no license plate. She stated that she was on her way to the tag office to obtain registration for the truck. It was later discovered that the truck’s registration had previously been suspended. A passenger in the truck who had previously been known to use illegal substances appeared to be under the influence. The woman said that the passenger was not under the influence and that there were no illegal substances in the truck. The passenger added that she stopped smoking marijuana after finding out that she was pregnant. Multiple bottles of pills that were not prescribed to the two women were found in the vehicle as well as a handgun. A bottle of urine was also discovered in the center console. The reporting officer was Andrae Wright.

Terroristic Threats and/or Acts; Simple Assault- Family Violence; Criminal Damage to Property-Second Degree; Disorderly Conduct

A man stated that his cousin pulled a spear on him during an argument. They had been arguing because the cousin called that man a derogatory name. The man responded by pouring trash on the cousin’s bed. The cousin then got a spear and threw it at the man. The cousin then left the residence to go to a trailer that he leases and demand the rent from the occupants. He was very intoxicated during the entire incident. He was swiftly arrested and began to threaten the lives of the officers on scene. The reporting officer was Dawn DeVoss.

Theft by Shoplifting- Misdemeanor

A woman stated that a man had stolen some items from the store where she worked. He denied stealing anything, and he had no stolen items on his person. Security footage, however, showed that he stole two candy bars and a bag of peanuts. The man admitted that her stole the items because he was hungry. He was later placed under arrest. The reporting officer was Loren Richard Scholes.

Dec. 20

Traffic Complaint/Violation; PossessioN OF Methamphetamine; Possession and Use of Drug Related Objects

An unknown informant advised that a man was driving recklessly down the road. A background check revealed that he was on probation for manufacturing methamphetamine, but he claimed that he did not have any illegal substances on him at the time. A female passenger however, admitted that she had a needle in her purse. While searching the vehicle, officers discovered a smoking pipe and three bags of methamphetamine. Both people were swiftly arrested, and the vehicle was collected by a local wrecker service. They denied that the drugs were theirs. The reporting officer was Christopher Cary.

Suspicious Person; Fleeing or Attempting to Elude

Two anonymous sources stated that several unknown men were prowling around on their property. All of the men began to run when police arrived at the scene. Two of the suspects crashed their vehicle into a tree in the process. The vehicle was eventually towed to a local impound lot. None of the men were captured. The reporting officer was Bobby McCloud.

Dec. 21

Wanted Person-Warrant Service; Suspicious Person

An anonymous source stated that a man was walking around the neighborhood with a bottle of liquor in his hand. The man said that he was just going for a walk. A background check revealed that he had an outstanding warrant out for his arrest. He was placed under arrest, and he left the bottle of liquor with his friend. The reporting officer was Bobby McCloud.

Burglary-First Degree (Felony)

A woman stated that she returned to her house to find several items missing. They included a black lock box and several pieces of jewelry. She also said that the front door of her house does not lock properly. She suspected her brother or the crime as he frequented the house the most. Several neighbors advised that her family members had been entering the house throughout the day. No one could be pinned for the incident. The reporting officer was John Preston Morris.

Dec. 23

Wanted Person-Warrant Service

A woman stated that a man was passed out in a vehicle in the parking lot of a gas station. It was noted that he appeared to be very intoxicated. A background check revealed that he had an outstanding warrant, and he was placed under arrest. His vehicle was released to his coworker. The reporting officer was Dawn DeVoss.

Burglary-First Degree (Felony); Criminal Trespass; Theft by Taking- Felony

A woman stated that someone had broken into her husband’s camper and stolen $2,000 in cash and three gold British coins. There was no evidence that any of the camper’s doors had been tampered with. She noted that a similar incident had occurred several years prior when three suspects broke into her house and stole several gold coins. The reporting officer was John Reinhart.

Battery-Family Violence (First Offence) Misdemeanor; Arson- Third Degree; Criminal Trespass- Property Damage

A man stated that he had gotten into an argument with his wife earlier in the day which lead to a physical altercation. She bit his arm, and he retreated outside to burn some leaves. He admitted to burning some of his wife’s belongings as well. It was noted that he smelled strongly of alcoholic beverages. The wife said that she was arguing with the man because he was drunk. She took his phone during the incident, and he responded by taking her purse which had a firearm inside. He also kicked in a door and smashed a mirror. She tried to call law enforcement, but he took her phone away from her. He then pushed her onto a couch which caused some bruising. She bit him to get him off her, and he proceeded to start a fire and throw her shoes into it. He revealed the location of the purse to officers before being arrested. The reporting officer was Max Barber.

Simple Battery-Family Violence; Criminal Damage to Property- Second Degree; Cruelty to Children-Allow Child to Witness

A woman stated that her husband got mad at her when she asked him to watch their infant child. During the confrontation, he hit her in the eye and damaged her car. She said that she has had to contact police in the past due to similar actions. Her young son witnessed this event. The husband fled the scene and could not be located. The reporting officer was Terry Gideon.

Dec. 24

Obstruction of Law Enforcement (Misdemeanor)

A man stated that his separated wife and children went to his house uninvited while he was away. His girlfriend was home at the time. He said that when he returned home, his wife kicked a cooler of shrimp over and hit him in the face. He also noted that it was not the first time that she had hit him. The daughter confirmed that her parents had been arguing. The wife denied hitting the man and demanded that he leave. She refused to let him take a vehicle that was in his name and was ultimately arrested because she would not stop arguing with police. The reporting officer was Kristopher Withem.

No Insurance

An unknown informant advised that a man was parked in an abandoned parking lot. He stated that he was simply visiting his girlfriend. A background check revealed that his vehicle had no valid insurance. The vehicle was towed by a local wrecker service and he was picked up by a group of friends. The reporting officer was Tonya Hodges.

DUI-Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol

A man was seen driving erratically down the roadway and running into a ditch. His story of what he was doing changed several times throughout his encounter with police. At first, he denied being intoxicated but later admitted to drinking a beer earlier in the day. He failed a field sobriety test and was swiftly arrested. He also provided a breath sample. The reporting officer was Daniel Handshumaker.

Fleeing or Attempting to Elude; DUI-Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol

A man was spotted driving down the road at a high rate of speed. The vehicle attempted to flee for a time which put other motorists at risk before finally coming to a stop. The man was dragged out of his vehicle from the window and placed under arrest. He stated that he was fleeing because he was scared. A bag of marijuana was found in the vehicle, and the man was discovered to be under the influence of alcohol. It was also made known that his license was suspended. His vehicle was towed from the scene. The reporting officer was Jason Fondren.

Dec. 25

Theft by Receiving Stolen Property- Felony

A woman was spotted driving down the road in a vehicle that was registered as stolen. She was pulled over in the police department parking lot and taken into custody along with a passenger. The passenger stated that he was picked up by the woman and was unaware of the vehicle’s stolen status. He was released from the scene. The woman said that she got the vehicle from a friend two days prior. She was swiftly arrested and the vehicle was placed in a nearby impound lot. The reporting officer was Jason Fondren.

No Insurance

A man was seen driving down the road with a headlight that was not working. He stated that he was on his way to the store and that he was unaware of the broken headlight. A background check revealed that the vehicle’s registration had been cancelled. The vehicle was towed and the man was given a ride home. The reporting officer was Malcom Foy.

DUI-Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol; Reckless Driving; Failure to Maintain Lane; Driving Without License

A man stated that a driver was traveling down the road in a reckless manner. The driver had previously been contacted for a noise compliant where he admitted to drinking multiple beers. After several minutes, the driver pulled into a parking lot where it was noted that he appeared to be intoxicated. He was placed under arrest, and he agreed to take a breath test. His vehicle was collected by a local wrecker company. The reporting officer was Malcom Foy.

Disorderly Conduct; Simple Assault

A man stated that his son was dropped off at his house, but he did not want him there because he was extremely drunk. When he let his son in the house, he began to knock over furniture, so he and his wife forced their son out of their home. The man hit his son’s lip in the process. The son then proceeded to attempt to regain entry to the house by banging on the doors and windows. He was placed under arrest and checked by emergency medical services before being transported away from the scene. The reporting officer was Malcom Foy.

Dec. 26

Criminal Trespass- Property Damage

A man stated that sometime during the afternoon, his neighbor took the fence beside his driveway down. The neighbor denied taking the fence down and claimed that it was on county property. He was cited and given a criminal trespass notice. The reporting officer was Caleb Grovenstein.

Driving Without License; Taillight Requirements

A man was spotted driving down the road with an inoperative taillight. He pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store and almost caused a collision in the process. He advised that his girlfriend was having breathing problems and that he needed to contact the hospital. When she was offered emergency medical services, however, she declined. The man admitted to having a pocket knife which was confiscated. A background check revealed that he was unlicensed. He was arrested and the girlfriend was allowed to drive home. The reporting officer was Adam Harmon.

Burglary-First Degree (Felony)

A woman advised that several items had been taken from her house. She also said that her studio had previously been vandalized by an arson who claimed that she knew where the woman lived. The stolen belongings included a professional camera, a tool kit, a purse, a DVD player and a box of checks. The reporting officer was Christopher Cary.