Police blotter
The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
Restaurant robbery
A manager at a McDonald's in Martinez was wounded after trying to stop a knife-wielding thief Sunday.
Employees and witnesses at the fast-food restaurant, at 4478 Columbia Road, told police that a man wearing a gray stocking over his head and gripping a 12- to 14-inch hunting knife demanded money from a cashier at about 8 p.m.
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After he got the money, the suspect thanked the employees and wished them a merry Christmas before attempting to flee, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report.
The restaurant manager entered the restaurant just as the robber was leaving and tried to block his escape, police said. The manager was then cut on the left hand by the suspect, who was last seen running west through the parking lot.
Authorities tried searching for the man, but were unable to find him.
The suspect is described as white in his early 20s, between 5-feet-6 and 5-feet-8, and weighing about 140 pounds.
Decorations stolen
An Evans man was robbed of several Christmas decorations on Christmas Day.
Patrick F. Suppa, of the 800 block of Storbridge Drive, reported to police that Thursday morning someone stole 50 strands of Christmas lights, a 3-foot-tall plastic Frosty the Snowman decoration and 20 plastic candy canes from his yard.
He also said he found broken eggs and shaving cream in his mailbox, according to a police report.
Work assault
An assembly technician at Club Car accused one of her co-workers of ramming her head into a metal pole.
Sanora Yuschmera Hughes of Waynesboro told officers that a female co-worker shoved and struck her for no apparent reason about 1 p.m. Dec. 23 at Club Car, 4125 Washington Road in Evans.
Hughes said she fought back, but the suspect grabbed her by her hair and thrust her head into a metal pole, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report.
Hughes was taken to Doctors Hospital, where she gave a sworn statement to police.
Family argument
An argument between mother and son brought out sheriff's deputies on Christmas Eve.
Linda Sue Overbeck, of the 4200 block of Waylon Drive, in Martinez said she tried to call police during a heated argument with her son, but the 17-year-old disconnected the telephone line from the wall outlet, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report.
Overbeck said she was forced to push the hold-up button on her burglar alarm to bring officers to the scene.
Neither Overbeck nor her son hit each other, the report stated.
Fire report
Martinez Fire Department Activity Report for the week of Dec. 21-27.
Structure fires, four; vehicle fire, one; woods fires, three; controlled burns, three; carbon monoxide, one; fire alarms, six; medical calls, 26; rescue calls, two; investigations, eight; public service, two.