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Effingham County Sheriff's Office reports Oct. 25 edition
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Oct. 9
Theft by Taking-Misdemeanor ($501-$1,500)
A woman advised that over 100 of her pain medication pills had been stolen. She suspected that the theft was perpetrated by a man and his wife who had previously visited her house. She stated that the man had been ejected from a drug addiction program, but she could not provide his information. The reporting officer was Ramsey Mannon.

Oct. 10
Agency Assist; Animal Compliant
An unknown complainant advised that a German shepherd had been left in a car for over an hour with the window barely cracked. The owner stated that she had bought the dog for her sister, and she was on her way to pick it up. The dog was taken into custody, and the woman was advised that her sister would have to be the person to collect it. The reporting officer was Tommy Williams.

Theft by Deception-Felony
A woman stated that she contacted a man to discuss a price for a pool deck. The two agreed on a price of over $1,400, and the man asked the woman to pay half before he started working the next day. He did not show up when he was supposed to, and he began to make excuses as to why he could
not do the job. He eventually stopped returning her phone calls and texts. The reporting officer was Tonya Hodges.

Battery-Family Violence (First Offense) Misdemeanor; Cruelty to Children- Allow Child to Witness
A man stated that he had been having some problems with his girlfriend. It had been getting so bad that he was planning to move out. Around lunch time that day, he had let the dog outside and left for the afternoon. When he returned, his girlfriend became mad for leaving the dog out. She became violent and injured his eye, arm and chest. He then pushed her off him and called the law. Three minors in the house heard the incident. The girlfriend claimed that the man attacked her, but she had no marks on her body. It was decided that she was the primary aggressor, and she was arrested. The reporting officer was Jason Bragg.

Domestic Dispute
A woman stated that her daughter entered her bedroom with a pellet rifle asking for mouthwash. The daughter did not threaten her mother with the gun, but the woman did believe that she was under the influence of drugs. The daughter claimed that she carried the gun around for protection and that she really needed mouthwash for her swelling mouth. She agreed to stay at a friend’s house for the night. The reporting officer was Justin Hynko.

Oct. 11
Battery
A man stated that while visiting his son at his ex-wife’s house, a second man came to the house.
The first man attempted to leave to keep the peace, but the second man followed him to his car and began punching him. The first man suffered multiple injuries to his face including two cracked teeth and swelling to his forehead. The second man admitted to the battery but claimed that the first man made threats against him. Both the first man and the ex-wife denied this. The second man was swiftly arrested. The reporting officer was Malcom Foy.

Domestic Dispute
A man stated that he was having problems in his relationship because his girlfriend was refusing to kick out her husband. On the above date, when the man was trying to copy down some directions, he got into a verbal argument with his girlfriend over retrieving a pen. The girlfriend supported this story but also claimed that the man chocked her at some point. She then left the residence and went to her friend’s house. She stated that she wanted the man to leave for the evening, and he agreed to do so.
The reporting officer was Jason Fondren.

Oct. 12

Domestic Dispute
A woman stated that two of her neighbors were fighting in the street. The female neighbor was screaming at a male who said that he was trying to sleep while she was making noises with a water bottle. He decided to leave, and the female went after him into the street. They agreed to keep the yelling inside in any future confrontations. The reporting officer was James Ashley Denny.

Wanted Person-Warrant Service
A bonding agent advised that a woman with an outstanding warrant refused to open her door for him and only wished to speak to a deputy. Police eventually convinced her to open the door, and she was swiftly arrested. The reporting officer was Christopher Cary.

Traffic Complaint/Violation; Wanted Person- Warrant Service
A woman was spotted driving down the road with a cracked front windshield. A man was sitting in the passenger seat, and a background check revealed that he was wanted for failure to appear. He was arrested, and the woman was advised to replace her windshield. The reporting officer was Christopher Cary.

Miscellaneous
A man stated that his neighbor crashed his car into some trees in his front yard. The neighbor’s father advised that due to an ATV accident and a resulting head injury, the neighbor suffered from seizures and wore a helmet. He was taking a puppy that a neighbor had lost back to their house when he suffered a seizure behind the wheel. The father pulled the crashed vehicle back to his residence and stated that in the future he would keep the keys out of his son’s reach. The reporting officer was Malcom Foy.

Possession of a Schedule I Controlled Substance; Manufacture/Deliver/Distribution/Administration/Sell/Possession of Wild Synthetic; DUI-Driving Under the Influence of Drugs; Driving While License Withdrawn; No Insurance; Removing or Affixing License Plate with Intent to Conceal; Drugs not in Original Container- Misdemeanor
An unknown informant reported that a vehicle had slid down an embankment off a road leading to a boat landing. The car was still running and the driver was passed out. Police were unable to wake him for several minutes before he finally began to move around. It was noted that he had a knife and a bunched-up sock, as well as the fact that he appeared to be under the influence. The odor of methamphetamine was detected in the vehicle and on the driver. While turning the car off, police discovered that it was being cranked with a small file, which indicated that it was stolen. The driver exited the car, and other knifes were found in the passenger seat. He attempted to hide the bunched-up sock between his legs and excused this by saying that he had something wrong with his genitals. He admitted to having a drug problem but denied taking any in the recent hours. Illegal substances were found in the sock as medical services arrived. A background check revealed that his driver’s license was suspended and that he had no insurance. He submitted to a blood test and was arrested. He then began to complain about his genitals and was taken to a hospital where he signed himself out and attempted to flee officers on foot. He was arrested again, and his vehicle was towed. The reporting officer was James Thompson.

Domestic Dispute
A woman stated that her boyfriend had gotten angry at her over the combination to her medication lock box. After she poured his alcohol down the drain at her residence, he became angrier and left with the lock box. He brought it back after he learned that she had called the cops. The reporting officer was James Ashley Denney.

Oct. 13

DUI-Driving Under the Influence of Drugs; Failure to Maintain Lane
An unknown person advised that an accident had occurred in front of a gas station. A female passenger in the vehicle stated that they were on their way to the hospital due to complications in her pregnancy. The driver stated that another car crossed and stayed in his lane causing him to drive off the roadway. He ended up in a ditch and called a wrecker. It was noted that he was acting as if he were under the influence, and a field sobriety test was conducted. He failed the test and was placed under arrest. Unknown substances and marijuana were later found in the vehicle. The driver also agreed to a blood test. The reporting officer was Malcom Foy.

Wanted Person-Warrant Service
A woman stated that she had gotten into an altercation with a friend after she let him stay for the night. She then began to receive harassing text messages from his ex-girlfriend. After the woman confronted him about this matter, he lost his temper and pushed her. She then took him back to his house. The friend was later located, and he told his version of the story. A background revealed that he
had an outstanding warrant and was swiftly placed under arrest. The reporting officer was Matt Smith.

Theft by Taking
A man stated that while he was in the hospital, several items were stolen off his front porch and out of his tool box. The missing items included a socket set and a tool box. He also found a cell phone on the ground that was not his. The man believed that the culprit was a neighborhood boy whom he had given permission to take from a pile of stuff that was in his yard. The reporting officer was Bradley Brown.

Theft by Taking-Misdemeanor ($501-$1500)
A woman stated that while she was arrested, multiple items were taken from her place of residence. The items included a tablet, generator, and video game console. She suspected that her sister-in-law was behind the theft as she has several warrants on her. The reporting officer was Bradley Brown.

Financial Transaction Fraud
A woman advised that her credit card had been used to purchase a tablet that she did not buy.
The tablet was purchased the day before and was to be delivered to a nearby location. She suspected that someone at a local pizza delivery service had stolen her information after she bought a pizza online.
The reporting officer was Tonya Hodges.

DUI- Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol; Failure to Maintain Lane
An unknown informant advised that a car crash had occurred, and the intoxicated driver was trying to leave the scene. The driver was unable to communicate properly, and he smelled of alcoholic beverages. He was finally able to state that someone had pulled out in front of him which caused the crash. He admitted to drinking and agreed to take a field sobriety test. During the test, he nearly stumbled into traffic and had to be caught by officers. A blood test was also performed. Due to the driver’s condition, he was not arrested but instead released to his mother. The reporting officer was Jason Bragg.

Violation of Conditions on Limited Driving Permit; Tag Light Required
A woman was seen driving down the road without proper tag lights. A background check revealed that she was on her way back from picking up a friend and that her driver’s license was a limited permit. She was arrested for breaking some of the restrictions on the permit. The reporting officer was William West.

Disorderly Conduct
A man stated that he and his girlfriend had been letting a second woman stay with them, but he wanted her gone while he was gone on a fishing trip. While he was explaining this, the woman became very agitated and began cursing at the man and police. She was advised to leave and she agreed, but commented that the man had hit her in the past. The woman’s boyfriend concurred with these statements. The reporting officer was Bobby McCloud.

Oct. 14

DUI-Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
A man was spotted driving at a very high rate of speed on a public roadway. For a few minutes after police activated their sirens, it appeared as if the man would flee, but he finally stopped on the
shoulder of the road. He was ordered to throw his keys out of his window, and he complied. He smelled of alcohol, and he admitted to having two shots at a bar and a few beers. He later failed a field sobriety test and was placed under arrest. His vehicle was released to his friend. The reporting officer was Jason Fondren.

Damage to Property
A woman advised that two trash cans had been left on the road in front of her house. She also stated that vulgar words had been spray painted on several surrounding street signs. She noted that this was not the first instance of this happening and suspected local teenagers to be responsible for the acts.
The reporting officer was Matt Smith.

Disorderly Conduct
A woman stated that her grandson was being unruly at her house after she invited him to spend the night. He became very aggressive and started to cuss so loud that he disturbed the neighbors. He then left the scene on foot but was later found and arrested. His belongings and dog were turned over to a friend. The reporting officer was Jason Bragg.

Oct. 15
Theft by Conversion-Felony
A man stated that the buyer of his vehicle had stopped making payments thereby stealing it. The man had recently been involved in a serious accident which landed him in the hospital for several months. When he got out, he was unable to find the buyer, so he went to the buyer’s grandmother’s place of residence. He located the truck but could not find the buyer. When he attempted to tow the vehicle, the grandmother became very irate, and he was confronted by two men who claimed to be the buyer’s family. They promised to retrieve the truck but later texted the man saying that it had been salvaged and that the buyer could not be found. The buyer was not found. The reporting officer was Max Barber.

Obstruction of Law Enforcement (Misdemeanor)
A man stated that his son had several drug related items in his bedroom. As officers were arriving at the scene, it was reported that the son may have gotten into his girlfriend’s vehicle. When the vehicle was located, the female driver refused to get out or identify herself. It appeared that she was living in the vehicle. She eventually got out and was swiftly detained. She acted rather erratic as if she was under the influence. The son’s mother was then located who confirmed that her son had acid and methamphetamine in his bedroom. The driver then denied being on any drugs. A drug test was performed, and she was placed under arrest. The vehicle was turned over to the mother. The reporting officer was Max Barber.

Possession of Marijuana Less than One Ounce; Use of Communication Facility in Commission of a Felony
A man was spotted stopping in the middle of the roadway, getting out of a vehicle, walking to a mail box and immediately going back to the vehicle. The driver stated that he was allowing the man to get something from his mother’s house. Marijuana could be smelled in the vehicle, and both occupants were detained. No illegal substances were found within the vehicle, but marijuana was located in the previously mentioned mail box. The man then admitted to dropping off the drug for a friend who had purchased. He later received a message on his phone from an unknown person asking if he had dropped it off. The man was arrested, and the driver was released to his vehicle. The reporting officer was Jason Bragg.

Driving While License Suspended or Revoked (Misdemeanor)
A man was seen going into a local service station. It was noted that his vehicle was missing a rear bumper and that his license plate was secured with a wire. After the man in question remained in the store for over half an hour, a background check was performed. It revealed that his license was suspended. He admitted to having missed a court date, and it was discovered that he had a knife and a set of handcuffs on his person. He was placed under arrest, and a wrecker service was contacted to retrieve the vehicle. The reporting officer was Jason Fondren.

Burglary- First Degree (Felony)
A woman advised that a house that she was selling had been broken into. No one was found inside of the house, but the back-glass door was found to be broken. The knob and lock had also been
removed. The woman noted that this was the second time that the house had been broken into and that she only checks on it twice a week. The reporting officer was Kristopher Withem.

Property Damage
A man stated that newly cut trees had been thrown on his barbed wire fence at his property line. The trees had been cut due to new construction of houses that bordered his property. The realtor was contacted over the matter. The reporting officer was Justin Hynko.