Blotter report
The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
Wal-Mart shoplifters
A Wal-Mart sales associate and an Augusta woman were arrested Thursday night and charged with stealing merchandise from the store.
Jeremy Keith Youngblood, the loss prevention officer for the Wal-Mart at 260 Bobby Jones Expressway, Martinez, told police that he saw Mercedes Rios Biascochea, 31, of C Street, Augusta, pick out nine men's T-shirts from the clothing department and take them to the jewelry department, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report. Sales associate Danielle T. Carter, 19, placed the shirts in a bag and returned the package to Biascochea, who never purchased the items, according to the report.
Biascochea also gave Carter two bags containing eight pairs of women's shorts and eight short-sleeve women's shirts, the report stated. Biascochea could not be apprehended before leaving the store with the men's clothing, Youngblood told police.
But Carter remained at work until her shift was over, when she purchased several items before attempting to leave the store with the bags of women's clothing, the report stated. Youngblood said he apprehended Carter with the bags concealed in her shopping cart and no receipt.
Biascochea was contacted by store management and told to return to the store, where both women were arrested for shoplifting, the report stated. The men's items taken from the store by Biascochea were not recovered. The incident was recorded on the store's camera surveillance system.
Both were taken to the Columbia County Detention Center early Friday morning and were charged with shoplifting. They posted a $1,050 bond Friday and were released, a jail spokesperson said.
Card left in ATM
A Martinez man saw his bank card for the last time Feb. 2 when he accidentally left it in the automatic teller machine.
Jewel William Hobbins of Evans told police that he used his ATM card at the Regions Bank at 3816 Washington Road at about 8:45 p.m. He realized the card was missing Feb. 3 and called the bank, whose staff said they did not have the card, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office incident report.
After further investigation with the credit card company, Hobbins learned there had been five unauthorized purchases totaling $2,100 on the card since he lost it, the report stated.
Hobbins told police he would prosecute if offenders were identified.
Wanted man caught
Police spent nearly two hours tracking a Harlem man Saturday before arresting him.
Harlem Police Department deputies attempted to apprehend James Edward Grant Jr., 49, for an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court, when he ran, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report. Sheriff's Deputy Doug Buono was called in to use his dog, Ajax, to track Grant, the report stated.
Ajax tracked Grant for 300 yards until police saw him about 50 yards ahead of them on a four-wheeler path in the woods, the report stated. Despite officers' calling at him to stop, Grant began running again and was tracked for four miles until he was apprehended in front of Morris Chapel at the McDuffie County line, the report stated.
Grant, of Sanders Road in Harlem, was charged with obstruction of justice for running and taken to the Columbia County Detention Center, where he remained Monday, according to jail personnel.
Vandals hit green
One of the golfing greens of The Club at Jones Creek was vandalized Friday night.
Club groundskeeper Johnny Brogdon Grantham told police that someone dug ruts into the putting surface of the golf course's sixth hole by making sharp circular turns with a motorized cart, according to Columbia County Sheriff's Office report.
The damage was estimated at $1,200, the report stated, and Grantham told police the club would prosecute if the offenders were identified.
Roommate used debit card
An Evans woman said that her roommate had stolen money from her using her debit card Feb. 4.
Tamara Lynne Byers, 29, told police she allowed Edward Barrick to use her van to drive to the store at about 11:30 a.m. Barrick has lived with Byers and her family since he was kicked out of his South Carolina home, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report.
After Barrick returned, Byers called the Georgia Welfare Office to check the balance on her EBT debit card and discovered it was lower than she expected and the card was used to withdraw $60 from an ATM at 11:48 a.m., the report stated. The card was in her wallet in the van's glove compartment, she told police.
When Barrick overheard Byers on the phone, he ran out of the house and was last seen running down Lake Jean Drive, the report stated.
The security camera from the Circle K where the withdrawal was made at 4256 Washington Road, Evans, was taken into evidence.
Fire report
Martinez Fire Department Activity Report for the week of Feb. 1-7:
Structure fires, two; woods fire, one; vehicle fires, two; controlled burns, three; natural gas leaks, two; fire alarms, 10; medical calls, 36; rescue calls, eight; investigations, five; public service, one; and other, one.