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Effingham County Sheriff's Office reports June 13
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May 28

DUI-Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol; Registration and License Requirements; Public Drunkenness

A clerk stated that a shirtless man who was intoxicated was making a scene in his store. It was noted that the man smelled strongly of alcoholic beverages. He had previously been involved in an incident in which a loud fight occurred. He denied being drunk and continually used profanity at several people in the area. He was placed under arrest, and his vehicle was towed by a local wrecker service. The reporting officer was Malcom Foy.

Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance; Theft by Receiving Stolen Property-Felony; Possession and Use of Drug Related Objects; Possession of Firearm or Knife During Commission of Crime; Possession of Firearms by Convicted Felons

Police were attempting to locate a woman involved in a previous incident. While checking at the woman’s home, a passenger in a vehicle outside of the home revealed that the woman had left shortly beforehand. The passenger stated the she and her driver were using the internet connection from the house with the woman’s permission. A background check on the driver revealed that he was wanted for a probation violation, and he was placed under arrest. A further search of the vehicle also yielded two handguns, one of which had been reported as stolen. Two bags of methamphetamine and two smoking devices were also discovered. The passenger personally possessed prescription drugs and was placed under arrest. Their vehicle was towed by a local wrecker service. The woman whom police were originally looking for was eventually found, whereupon she claimed that she did not know the driver or the passenger personally and that they were friends of her ex-boyfriend. The ex-boyfriend was also detained for suspected involvement in a robbery but was ultimately released. The reporting officer was Bryan Shearouse.

Simple Battery-Family Violence

A woman advised that her child’s father had shown up at her apartment and became very aggressive. He began to shout profanities at her and knock objects over, while his friend ransacked the apartment. He finally spit on her face before leaving. Neither of the men could be located at the time. The reporting officer was Malcom Foy.

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

A man was seen crossing the center line while driving down the road. It was noted that he smelled strongly of alcoholic beverages. He refused to answer any questions or participate in a field

sobriety test. He was placed under arrest, and his vehicle was towed by a local wrecker service. The reporting officer was John Preston Morris.

May 29

DUI- Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol; Failure to Maintain Lane; Possession of Open Alcohol Container

A woman was spotted stuck in a ditch on the side of the road. It was noted that she smelled strongly of alcoholic beverages. A further search of her person and her vehicle revealed an open beer can as well as an out of state driver’s license. She later admitted to being under the influence and failed a field sobriety test. She was swiftly arrested, and her vehicle was towed by a local wrecker service. The reporting officer was Bobby McCloud.

Computer Crimes Computer Trespass

A woman stated that someone had accessed her computer remotely without her permission. It started when a man called her and said that her product key had expired. She then went to her computer to find that it was operating on its own. Over a series of sketchy transactions, she discovered that the man on the phone had transferred over $4,000 from her savings account to her checking account and was requesting loanable money cards. She finally realized that this was a scam and disconnected her computer. She also changed her account information. She was unsure of who had hacked into the computer. The reporting officer was Bryan Shearouse.

Driving While License Withdrawn

An unknown source stated that a man was involved in an argument with the passengers of his truck while he was driving down the road. All the occupants claimed that the fight had been a simple misunderstanding. A background check on the driver revealed that he was driving on a suspended license, and he was swiftly arrested. All the passengers were released from the scene. The reporting officer was Malcom Foy.

May 30

Battery-Family Violence (First Offense) Misdemeanor

A woman advised that her boyfriend had kicked her in the stomach, pulled her hair and pulled her arms. She also said that he threw a cup at her which hit a wall and broke. It was noted that she had substantial bruising on her arms. A background check on the boyfriend revealed that he had a warrant out for his arrest, however, he could not be located at the time. A search of a truck near the boyfriend’s property did yield two arrests for a suspended registration and failure to appear for the occupants. The reporting officer was Tonya Hodges.

Unlawful Conduct During 911 Call by Using

Several 911 phone calls were made by a man regarding a certain residence and its occupants. The homeowner stated that the man lives at the house in question and was calling 911 to get attention. The man denied having made the 911 calls, but the screen of a cell phone was later found in his room. As he was being arrested, he admitted to having made the calls. The reporting officer was Tonya Hodges.

May 31

Parking Violation; Purchase, Possession, Manufacture, Distribution or Sale of Drugs; Possession and Use of Drug Related Objects; Cruelty to Children- Criminal Negligence/Causes Excessive

A man was spotted parking his vehicles in an awkward manner in front of his house. It was noted that the residence smelled strongly of marijuana. He admitted to both possessing and smoking the substance as well as doing so in front of his young daughter. Several of his friends who were at the residence admitted to supplying the marijuana. Many ounces of marijuana were recovered from the house along with rolling papers, a scale and a small grinder. The man was placed under arrest, and his friends were released from the scene. The reporting officer was Kristopher Withem.

Purchase, Possession, Manufacture, Distribution or Sale of Drugs

A woman was seen driving down the road in a vehicle that had no valid insurance or registration. She admitted to not keeping up with her insurance payments. It was noted that her vehicle smelled strongly of marijuana, and she admitted to having a glass smoking pipe with her. When a search of the vehicle was beginning, the woman started to cry and revealed that she had some marijuana and a scale in her possession. She was swiftly placed under arrest. The reporting officer was Jason Fondren.

Theft by Taking- Misdemeanor ($500 or Less); Simple Assault

A couple stated that two people went into their yard a stole a can of gas for their motorcycle. The two people began to throw rocks at the couple when they questioned them before fleeing the scene. The couple was unsure of who the two people were. The reporting officer was Robert Elliott Petitt.

June 1

Taillight Requirements; Wanted Person-Warrant Service

A woman was spotted driving down the road in a van that did not have working taillights. A background check revealed that she had an active warrant out for her arrest as did her daughter who was riding as a passenger. They were both swiftly arrested, and the van was towed by a local wrecker service. The reporting officer was James Thompson.

Disorderly Conduct

A man advised that his girlfriend went to his residence in an intoxicated state and threatened to damage his trucks. After becoming irate with police, the girlfriend was placed under arrest. The reporting officer was Kristopher Withem.

DUI-Driving Under the Influence of Drugs; Possession of Marijuana Less than One Ounce

A woman was seen driving off the roadway and crashing into a utility pole. She had previously been involved in an incident in which she was distributing and smoking marijuana in the presence of her toddler. She appeared to be under the influence during the crash as well, and she agreed to take a blood test. The vehicle smelled strongly of marijuana, and the substance was later located inside. It was towed by a local wrecker service a short time later. The woman was taken to a local hospital to receive an evaluation. The reporting officer was Jason Fondren.

Domestic Dispute

A woman advised that she was having problems with her roommate over residency issues. The roommate had started a fight with the woman after she refused to pay rent for the month. The roommate confirmed this story and added that the woman had thrown her purse and punched the roommate in the arm three times. Both parties agreed to separate for the rest of the night. The reporting officer was James Ashley Denney.

Domestic Dispute

A woman stated that she had gotten into a verbal argument with her grandmother over disrespect. The grandmother confirmed this series of events and agreed to leave the residence with her belongings. The reporting officer was Matthew Davis.

June 2

DUI-Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol; Driving While License Suspended or Revoked (Misdemeanor); Obstruction of Law Enforcement (Misdemeanor); Failure to Obey Police/Peace Officer; Failure to Maintain Lane; Possession of Open Alcohol Container

A man was spotted driving down the shoulder of the roadway. It was noted that his vehicle smelled strongly of alcoholic beverages, and he appeared to be under the influence. He claimed that he was not drunk, but an open beer can was located in the back seat. He was arrested and began to act in an uncooperative manner. At one point, he started to shout profanities and push officers away which placed them in danger of being hit by a vehicle. He was ultimately secured in a nearby patrol car. A background check revealed that his license was suspended and that he was carrying a pistol in his vehicle. The reporting officer was John Preston Morris.

Dogs, Cats or Livestock Running at Large Prohibited

A man advised that he was walking his roommate’s dog when his neighbor’s dog started attacking the roommate’s dog. The man was forced to place the attacking dog in a chock hold to get it to stop. The ground appeared to be disturbed in an area where the attack occurred, and the attacking dog appeared to be unharmed. The neighbor agreed to pay for the injured dog’s medical expenses. The reporting officer was James Daniel McKie.

Burglary-First Degree (Felony); Entering Automobile or Other Motor Vehicle with Intent to Commit a Crime; Theft by Taking-Felony

A woman stated that her alarm went off on her house, and she later discovered a debit card on her front porch. Tool marks were found near the front door handle, and a screwdriver was also discovered in her vehicle. Contact could not be established with the owner of the debit card. The reporting officer was James Daniel McKie.

DUI-Driving Under the Influence of Drugs; Possession of Marijuana Less than One Ounce

A woman was seen driving at a very low rate of speed down the road and crossing the center line. A background check revealed that she was driving on a restricted license and that her vehicle was not insured. It was noted that her vehicle smelled strongly of marijuana, and she later admitted to having some in her possession. She also admitted to being under the influence and later failed a field sobriety test. She was swiftly arrested, and her vehicle was towed by a local wrecker service. The reporting officer was Jason Fondren.

June 3

Domestic Dispute

A man stated that he had gotten into a physical altercation with his step-son over the step-son’s evection. During the argument, both parties made physical contact with each other before separating to keep the peace. Both the step-son and his mother supported this story but added that the man was the one who made the fight physical. All parties were advised to remain separate for the time being. The reporting officer was Matthew Davis.

Criminal Damage to Property-Second Degree; Public Drunkenness

A woman advised that her husband was walking into traffic, throwing objects at cars and fighting. She noted that they had previously gotten into a fight which had left their residence ransacked. The husband was eventually located near a lake and placed under arrest. A driver later came forward and said that the husband had struck her windshield with a rock which had caused over $500 in damage. The reporting officer was John Preston Morris.

Domestic Dispute; Obstructing or Hindering Law Enforcement Officers

A woman stated that her significant other had become enraged when she woke him up to tell him about their flea infested bed. The significant other was later found by police to be throwing items around his residence. After refusing to cooperate, he was arrested. The reporting officer was Christopher Cary.

Aggravated Assault

A group of people stated that a man had shot at their truck as they were driving past. The man had been standing next to a stop sign and left a small hole in the truck. They were unsure as to who the man might have been. The reporting officer was Malcom Foy.

Disorderly Conduct (County Ordnance)

A woman stated that her son showed up at her house under the influence of alcohol. He began to throw things around the house and shout profanities at the woman before being locked on the back porch. The son was later located and released to a neighbor who agreed to allow him to sleep there. He later went back to the woman’s house and became irate with police. After threatening an officer, he was swiftly arrested. The reporting officer was John Preston Morris.