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Effingham County Sheriff's Office reports July 25
N1710P29006C

July 5

Giving False Name, Address or Birthdate to Law Enforcement; Possession and Use of Drug Related Objects; Tampering with Evidence-Felony; Driving While License Suspended or Revoked (Misdemeanor); Move Over Law; Wanted Person-Warrant Service

A woman was spotted failing to move over for police on the side of the road as she was driving past. It was noted that she appeared to be under the influence and that she was driving on a suspended license. A passenger provided a false name when giving his information, but police were still able to deduce that he had an outstanding warrant. He was also found to have a crack pipe in his possession and was swiftly arrested. He later tried to tamper with evidence by throwing the pipe in that woods, but it was retrieved after a short search. The woman proceeded to fail a field sobriety test and was also placed under arrest. Her vehicle was towed by a local wrecker service. The reporting officer was Matthew Davis.

Possession and Use of Drug Related Objects; Driving While Declared as a Habitual Violator

A man was seen driving down the road in a vehicle that did not have the correct tag. He stated that he had just purchased the vehicle and was using the tag from his old vehicle as a temporary substitute. He later revealed that his license was suspended and that he was a habitual violator. A search of his vehicle yielded a grinder and two smoking pipes, and he was placed under arrest. His wife arrived on the scene to pick up the vehicle. The reporting officer was Fonzie Wayne Smith.

July 10

Cruelty to Animals

An unknown informant advised that a woman was not properly taking care of her dogs. It was noted that both dogs appeared to be in poor health but were not aggressive. The woman could not be contacted at the time. The reporting officer was James Ashley Denney.

Criminal Trespass

A man stated that a group of people were trying to remove his air conditioning unit and get inside of his house. He noted that he was forced to shoot his pistol out of fear for his life, though he did not hit anyone. The gun was confiscated and the area was inspected. There were no signs of the group of people at the time. The reporting officer was James Ashley Denney.

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

A man was seen driving down the road with a suspended license and in a vehicle that did not have proper registration. He was swiftly arrested, and his vehicle was towed by a local wrecker service. The reporting officer was Kristopher Withem.

Burglary-Second Degree (Felony)

A woman advised that her ex-boyfriend stole her car battery after breaking up with him and getting into an argument. He had previously asked her to give him the battery, and when she refused, he somehow unlatched the hood and took it himself. The ex-boyfriend could not be contacted at the time. The reporting officer was Bryan Shearouse.

July 13

Possession of Marijuana Less than One Ounce

A man was spotted in a vehicle that had broken down on the side of the road. He was revealed to be unlicensed, but he stated that his sister had been driving the car. While trying to contact the sister, it was discovered that the man had marijuana in his possession, and he was swiftly arrested. The vehicle was towed by a local wrecker service. The reporting officer was James Ashley Denney.

Wanted Person-Warrant Service

A woman was seen sitting on the side of the road in a vehicle that had broken down. A background check revealed that her passenger had an outstanding warrant, and he was swiftly placed under arrest. The woman was later released from the scene. The reporting officer was James Ashley Denney.

DUI-Alcohol/Controlled Substance Present in Vehicle; Simple Battery-Family Violence; Driving While License Suspended or Revoked (Misdemeanor); Terroristic Threats and/or Acts

A man who had been involved in a domestic dispute was spotted driving down the road. It was noted that he smelled strongly of alcoholic beverages, and he later admitted to previously having two beers. A background check also revealed that he was driving on a suspended license. After refusing to cooperate during a field sobriety test, the man was placed under arrest. He proceeded to threaten to shoot the officer’s children as he was being taken to jail. The reporting officer was Daniel Handshumaker.

DUI-Driving Under the Influence of Drugs; Wanted Person-Warrant Service

A man was seen driving recklessly in the parking lot of a gas station. His vehicle smelled strongly of marijuana, and he was arrested after failing a field sobriety test. A passenger was also placed under arrest for having two active warrants. The reporting officer was Daniel Handshumaker.

July 14

Simple Battery

A woman stated that she and an acquaintance had gotten into a fight over a boy. They had been having a feud for over a year by this point, and on this occasion, the acquaintance had jumped the woman and pulled her hair before fleeing the scene. The acquaintance could not be located at the time. The reporting officer was Matthew Davis.

Dog Bite

A woman advised that she had been attacked and bitten by two dogs while bicycling with her husband. She had multiple wounds on her foot which were about two inches deep. The owner of the dogs was informed of the incident, and she said that the dogs were not current on their rabies shots. The woman said that she would go to the hospital at a later date. The reporting officer was Malcom Foy.

Criminal Trespass

A man advised that his neighbor had violated a trespass notice by going onto his property and cursing at his wife. The neighbor, however, claimed that he had simply crossed over the property by accident while mowing the grass on an incline. The neighbor was ultimately not arrested, much to the dismay of the man. The reporting officer was Kristopher Withem.

Driving While License Suspended or Revoked (Misdemeanor)

A man was spotted driving down the road with a missing side mirror, wrinkled license plate and suspended driver’s license. He was arrested, and his truck was picked up by a family member. The reporting officer was Malcom Foy.

Driving While License Suspended or Revoked (Misdemeanor); Traffic Complaint/Violation

A man was seen driving down the road in a vehicle that had suspended registration. A background check revealed that his license was also suspended for failure to appear. He was swiftly arrested, and his vehicle was turned over to a passenger. The reporting officer was Matthew Davis.

Harassing Communications

A man and his sister stated that their brother had been threatening them over the phone. The sister had previously lived with the brother, but she moved out due to his violent behavior. It was later discovered that the brother also had an active warrant out for his arrest, but police were unable to contact him at the time. The reporting officer was James Daniel McKie.

DUI-Driving Under the Influence of Drugs; Failure to Maintain Lane; Possession of Marijuana

A woman was spotted driving down the road in an erratic fashion. It was noted that her vehicle smelled strongly of marijuana, and she later admitted to having some in her possession. After failing a field sobriety test, she was swiftly arrested, and her vehicle was towed by a local wrecker service. The reporting officer was Daniel Handshumaker.

Theft by Shoplifting-Misdemeanor

A store owner advised that a woman had slipped several items of merchandise into her purse. The woman openly admitted to shoplifting and produced several items from her purse which included candy, socks, a pair of shorts and two shirts. She was placed under arrest, and the stolen items were given back to the store. The reporting officer was James Daniel McKie.

No Tag; DUI-Alcohol/Controlled Substance Present in Vehicle

A man was seen driving down the road with no license plate displayed on his vehicle. It was noted that he smelled strongly of alcoholic beverages, but he denied being under the influence. He later failed a field sobriety test and was arrested. The reporting officer was Garett Buckles.

July 15

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

A man was spotted crashed in a ditch on the side of the road after previously driving in an erratic fashion. It was noted that he smelled strongly of alcoholic beverages and that he had an open beer bottle in his vehicle. It was also revealed that he was driving without a license. He was placed under arrest after failing a field sobriety test, and his vehicle was towed by a local wrecker service. The reporting officer was Malcom Foy.

Disorderly Conduct (County Ordnance)

A woman was seen driving down the road with a headlight violation. After being warned several times not to curse or yell at police, she was placed under arrest for not following basic commands. The reporting officer was Jason Bragg.

Possession of Marijuana; Improper Lane Change

A man was spotted making a turn without using his turn signal. A search of his vehicle yielded a small bag of marijuana, and he was swiftly arrested. His vehicle was towed by a local wrecker service. The reporting officer was Daniel Handshumaker.