Police blotter
The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
Rape charge
Police arrested a man accused of raping a CVS Pharmacy employee last week.
Authorities found Keith Tutt, 39, of the 1900 block of Lewis Family Drive in Lincolnton, in McDuffie County about midnight Wednesday night and charged him with kidnapping and rape.
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On Monday, a female worker at the CVS, at 3527 Old Petersburg Road, told police that she was pulled into the men's bathroom and sexually assaulted shortly before the store closed.
Columbia County authorities released composite sketches and later an identity to the public. On Wednesday night, police received reports that Tutt might be in the area and was traveling with his girlfriend, Carla Evans, 34, of Augusta, said Columbia County sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris.
He said police found the two while they were driving in McDuffie County.
Evans was arrested on obstruction charges for helping Tutt after warrants were issued against him. She posted $1,050 and was released, Capt. Morris said. As of Thursday morning, Tutt was still being held in the Columbia County Detention Center and did not yet have a bond hearing scheduled.
Shovel assault
A Harlem man was assaulted with a shovel Nov. 7 after accusing his girlfriend of cheating on him at a neighbor's house.
Michael Fred Tanksley, of the 400 block of White Road, told police that he confronted his girlfriend at a neighbor's house and asked her to leave, but she refused. He began arguing with a man living at the house and said the man then hit him with a shovel on the shoulder, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report.
The suspect told officers that Tanksley's girlfriend was at the house with his father. He said Tanksley came to the house, became angry when his girlfriend wouldn't leave, began cussing and left, the report stated. He said he never hit Tanksley.
A deputy noted in an incident report that there was a large swollen area on Tanksley's right shoulder.
Thrown cup
A Martinez woman was nearly assaulted with a plastic cup.
Madlen Sophia Galazka of Shady Grove Drive said she was in her front yard playing with her dog Nov. 7 when a man driving a Nissan Altima drove by and threw an object at her, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report.
Galazka said she didn't initially know what the object was and, in fear for her safety, ducked out of its path. After the man drove off, she looked down and saw that it was a plastic cup, the report stated.
Galazka told police that she recognized the man.
Mailbox vandalism
The sheriff's office received several reports of damaged mailboxes in Evans on Nov. 8.
Sometime during the night, two mailboxes on the 1300 block of Shadow Oak Drive in Evans were dented with an unidentified object, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report.
Four mailboxes on the 3500 block of Evans-to-Locks Road were completely knocked over. One of the homes showed tire marks near one of the mailboxes, the report stated.