Police blotter
The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
Threatening prank
A Grovetown woman was threatened Friday night by a prank caller who identified himself as working for the phone company.
Gale Seigler Agee, of the 300 block of Lewiston Road, told police someone called her home at 9:30 p.m., stating that he worked for AT&T and that her phone was going to be shut off, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report.
Agee, who has phone service through BellSouth, realized the call was a prank and hung up. The phone rang again, and Agee let the machine pick up the call. The same unknown caller left a message that they would harm after she went to sleep, the report stated.
The answering machine tape was taken as evidence.
Break-in attempt
A Grovetown woman was at home when someone tried to break inearly Sunday morning.
Mable Thorpe Sutton told police that just after 1 a.m. someone banged on her front and back doors, trying to get inside her home on the 600 block of South Old Belair Road, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report.
Deputy Michael Smolen found pieces of white plastic, which appeared to be from window mini-blinds, between the latch and front door frame of Sutton's home. Not other evidence was found. Nothing was taken or damaged, the report stated.
Counterfeit bills
An Augusta woman retrieving belongings after moving from an Evans home found counterfeit bills around the house.
Crystal Renee Nolan had not lived in a home on the 200 block of Lake Jean Drive since Dec. 15 because of a temporary restraining order between her and her husband. When she went to the residence Saturday, Nolan discovered a television, stereo, DVD player and Playstation 2 game console missing, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report.
Nolan said the home was locked and there were no signs of forced entry. But she told police that she found a counterfeit $100 bill printed on a piece of paper between her mattresses and pieces of ripped counterfeit $20 bills inside the grill on the back porch, the report stated. She found more pieces of ripped $20 bills in the back yard, and Nolan said a neighbor found a counterfeit $100 in the back yard last week.
Police took the money as evidence.
Phony deputy
A prank caller to a Grovetown residence Saturday night identified himself as a police officer.
Sharon Kay Raines, of the 5900 block of Huntington Drive, told police she answered the telephone at 10:30 p.m. Friday and a man identified himself as Jim, a deputy with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, who said Raines' son had been arrested, according to a sheriff's office incident report.
Raines said she was confused when the caller began cursing at her. After saying she was calling police, Raines hung up.
The phone immediately rang again and was answered by Raines' husband. The caller identified himself as with the sheriff's office again but became irate and began cursing with both of the Raines listening, the report stated. Mr. Raines threatened to call the police and hung up again.
The Raines told police they did not have caller ID on their telephone, but they would prosecute of the caller is identified.
Tires slashed
Tires of six vehicles on a Martinez neighborhood street were slashed late Friday night.
Tires were slashed on a PT Cruiser owned by Justin Edward Carter; a Ford Mustang owned by Sarah Lynn Tracy; and Ford F-150 pickup and Dodge Ram 150 pickup, both owned by Shannon Lee Walker. All four vehicles were parked outside a residence on the 100 block of Plantation Drive belonging to Carter and Tracy, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report.
Someone also cut the tires on a GMC van owned by Airciquide/VitalAir, which was parked on the street adjacent to a residence on the 4500 block of Plantation Drive, the report stated.
A sheriff's office captain found two tires slashed Saturday morning on the patrol vehicle parked in the road next to the residence on the 4500 block of Plantation Drive.
Fire report
Martinez Fire Department Activity Report for the week of Jan. 11-17:
Structure fires, five; grass fires, four; woods fire, one; vehicle fire, one; controlled burns, two; natural gas leaks, four; fire alarms, seven; medical calls, 20; rescue calls, five; investigations, two; pubic safety assistance, one; and other, three.