Police blotter

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

Optician threatened

A Martinez optician told authorities that he has been receiving threats stemming from a drag-racing incident.

Paul Thomas Broome, of the 3800 block of Inverness Way, said a man identifying himself as Fro called him on his cell phone Jan. 30 and threatened to shoot him, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report. Fro also told Broome that he knew where Broome lived and that he was going to die, the report stated.

Broome said he hung up, but the man called back and left more threats on Broome's voice mail.

Broome told deputies that he thinks the suspect is a friend of a man he drag-raced against in Jackson, S.C.

Janitor robbed

More than $300 was stolen from a high school janitor last month.

Greenbrier High School head custodian Maude Curry Lanham told police she left her purse unattended Jan. 29 in her office, in the entryway of one of the school's girl's bathrooms. While it was there, she said someone stole $334 from a checkbook inside of her purse.

She said anyone with a master key has access to her office.

Check fraud

A Martinez liquor store manager reported to police on Jan. 30 several cases of check fraud dating to last year.

Timothy Michael McLean, manager of Harvard's Wine and Beverage at 110 Old Evans Road, told police the incident happened Oct. 30, 2003, when someone bought $73.48 worth of merchandise with a stolen check.

The second incident came Dec. 6 when another suspect using a stolen check purchased merchandise totaling $196.60.

Someone else wrote a check to the store for $150.55 on New Year's Eve from an account that had been closed.