Police blotter

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

Drug bust

A routine traffic stop ended in a drug bust in Grovetown Wednesday.

Grovetown Department of Public Safety Officer Robert Banks pulled over a Chrysler New Yorker around 10 a.m. because he said the driver, Michael Hullum, 18, of Reynolds Farm Road in Grovetown, was not wearing a seat belt.

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Hullum and his passenger, Maurice Carpenter, 21, of Louisville Road in Harlem, were both found to be carrying marijuana in the car and on themselves, said GDPS Capt. Gary Owens.

While being patted down, police say Carpenter broke away and ran. Officers caught him two blocks away, where police also say he was carrying cocaine.

Hullum was charged with possession of marijuana and driving on a suspended license. A DUI charge is pending.

Carpenter was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, felony obstruction and cocaine possession.

Hullum's bond was set at $1,050 and Carpenter's was more than $10,000, said Capt. Owens. Both have posted bond and have been released.

Damaging burglary

A Grovetown teen's truck was damaged this weekend after the vehicle's stereo equipment was stolen.

Jeffery Duane Steedley, of Grovetown, spent Saturday night at a friend's house in Martinez. His 1998 Toyota pickup was parked on the street, and Sunday morning he discovered someone had reached through the partially-open passenger window and opened the door with the inside handle before stealing the CD-player face plate, an amplifier, a speaker box and nearly 150 CDs, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office incident report.

Wires to the keyless-entry control box under the front seat and the backup wires to the system hidden under the truck bed were cut, the report stated.

Harlem prowler

A Harlem woman recently reported a prowler outside her home.

Lorette Garnett Williams, 50, of Harlem, heard a noise outside her home just after 1 a.m. Saturday. When she looked out the back door to see what it was, Williams saw a man running from her house, stated a Columbia County Sheriff's Office incident report.

Deputy Randall Chambers discovered wet boot prints on the back porch and on the air-conditioning fan unit under a window while checking the residence, but no suspects were found in the area, the report stated.

Motorcycle returned

A missing motorcycle was returned to its owner the day after it was taken.

Joseph Douglas Gurley, 46, of Appling, reported his custom race-ready dirt bike was stolen from the back of his truck on his property, sometime Saturday night or early Sunday morning, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office incident report.

At 4:40 p.m. Sunday, Edward Eugene Gillum, 46, called the sheriff's office and said several young men left a motorcycle at his residence and it seemed suspicious, the report stated.

Gillum told deputies that three young men arrived at his home in Appling early Sunday morning - one stating he wanted to get his motorcycle. One stayed at Gillum's home, while Gillum and the other two went to Gurley's property. Gillum stayed in the vehicle while the two took and loaded the bike, the report stated.

The bike was taken to Gillum's home, where it was put in the living room, the report stated.

An investigator was called to Gillum's home, where he got Gillum's statement and permission to search his home, where he found Gurley's motorcycle, the report stated. After it was photographed and fingerprinted, the bike was returned to Gurley.

Fire report

Martinez Fire Department activity report for July 13-19:

Structure fires, five; vehicle fires, three; controlled burn, one; fire alarms, four; natural gas leaks, two; medical calls, 26; rescue calls, ten; public service, one; public safety assistance, one; other, three.