Police blotter

The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.

Brawl broken up

Officers broke-up a five-person brawl last Tuesday afternoon at an Evans residence.

John Phillips told officers that Eric and Bridgette Turnipseed went to his residence on the 4400 block of Hickory Drive to retrieve and exchange property.

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After the transaction was completed, Phillips said he asked the Turnipseeds to leave and an argument ensued, according to an incident report. Phillips said the argument turned physical when Mr. Turnipseed grabbed a baseball bat and began to swing it at him.

Mr. Turnipseed told deputies that the fight began when Phillips and Bobby Phillips began striking him as he was leaving Phillips' residence. Mr. Turnipseed also said the fight escalated, when Phillips struck him with a baseball bat.

While that was happening, the police report said a separate fight broke out between Mrs. Turnipseed and Cheryl Phillips. Mrs. Phillips said Mrs. Turnipseed attacked her, and Mrs. Turnipseed said the same of Mrs. Phillips.

Because of conflicting statements, officers were unable to determine a primary aggressor. According to the report, all parties were charged with affray, treated for their injuries and taken to the Columbia County Detention Center.

Unwelcome visitor

A Harlem resident found a woman in her house last week.

The resident told deputies that she came home around 6:30 p.m. to find a red Geo Prizm in her driveway that she didn't recognize. Janet Gay Neal said that a woman she didn't know, listed in the incident report as Toni Renee Sorrells, exited the front door of her home and approached her car.

Sorrells told the resident she was looking for James Hines and she was told that no one by that name lived there, according to an incident report.

Neal then called the sheriff's office with the Prizm's tag number and told them that she last saw it traveling west on Wrightsboro Road.

The sheriff's office broadcasted an alert on the vehicle, which was stopped a short time later in McDuffie County. Sorrells was transported back to the Harlem residence where she was positively identified by Neal.

Although Neal told officers that nothing appeared to have been stolen, Sorrells was taken to the Columbia County Detention Center and processed on burglary charges.

Check cashed

An unknown man cashed a payroll check from Maner Building Supply at the Kroger on Wrightsboro Road, but the man doesn't work for Maner.

The information on the check said it was drawn from Regions Bank with Maner's name on it in the amount of $398.59.

Maner's Chief Auditor Jack Glen Greenway told the Columbia County Sheriff's Office that Maner does not have an account with Regions Bank.

The matter was turned over to investigators.