Police blotter

A Martinez delivery service lost one of its vans Tuesday only to find it on the side of Interstate 20 that afternoon.

Phillip Ray Treadway, manager of Augusta Delivery Service at 472 Flowing Wells Road, told police that at 4:30 p.m. he was told one of his missing delivery vans was seen on the shoulder of the westbound lane of I-20, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report.

Treadway said he was traveling east on I-20 to find the van when he saw one of his drivers walking along the interstate on the other side of the median.

By the time Treadway turned around and arrived at the van, he said the driver was gone.

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Several items were missing from the van, including a hand truck, a cell phone, a Fuel credit card, various office supplies and a work station, according to the police report.

Boat motor stolen

An outboard motor was stolen off a Grovetown man's boat last week.

Eugene Edward Johnson, of the 5900 block of Jaime Drive in Grovetown, told a Columbia County sheriff's deputy that someone stole a 50-horsepower boat engine worth $1,400.

Johnson said he last saw the motor Tuesday night and discovered it was missing the next day, according to a police report.

He was unable to provide police with the model or serial number of the engine.

Missing items

What one Evans man calls a loan, an Augusta woman perceived as a gift.

Michael Canute Bailey, of the 4100 block of Saddle Horn Drive in Evans, told police Wednesday that he had let his former roommate borrow a $700 VCR, $133 workout machine and $760 worth of VHS tapes while she was living with him.

After she moved out, Bailey noticed the items missing, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report. He called his former roommate to ask about his things, and she said she believed the items were a gift, adding that she intended to keep them, the report stated.

Foiled forgery

A Martinez store manager stopped a couple of check forgers before they could make off with his merchandise.

Frank Anthony Papra II, manager of the Radio Shack at 3830 Washington Road in Martinez, told authorities that a man and woman tried to purchase $96.26 worth of merchandise with a check. He said he became suspicious and called the phone number printed on the check, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report.

He said the couple became visibly nervous. Another man entered the store, told the couple to hurry up and all three left in a burgundy Cadillac without the merchandise, the report stated.

After speaking with the person who was listed on the checks, Papra discovered that the checks had been stolen and called the sheriff's office.

Reckless driver

A resident complained to police Monday that someone was driving recklessly in the field across from the Columbia County Justice Center.

Columbia County Sheriff's Deputy Matthew Parham was dispatched to the scene, and said he saw a man driving a white Ford Ranger pickup in the field. As he approached, Parham wrote in a police report that the man left the field, drove onto North Belair Road, turned on to Ronald Reagan Drive and then turned onto Washington Road heading west.

Parham pulled the truck over at the corner of Washington Road and Faircloth Drive in Evans.

The truck's driver, Lonnie Bargeron IV of Martinez, gave Parham a Georgia driver's license. After some investigation, Parham learned that license was fake, according to the police report.

Parham arrested Bargeron for false identification documents and took him to the Columbia County Detention Center.

Wanted speeder

Columbia County Sheriff's Deputy Bobby Bradford pulled over a speeder with a record last week at the rest area off the eastbound lane of Interstate 20.

Bradford ran a check on the driver, Christopher Lee Owens of Cedartown, Ga., and found out that his license had been revoked for habitual violations, according to a police report.

After being arrested, Owens admitted to having active warrants out on him in Polk County. Bradford checked with Polk County authorities, who said asked the deputy to hold Owens.

In Columbia County, Owens was charged with speeding, driving without a license and as a habitual violator, according to the incident report.