Police blotter

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

Jewelry theft arrest

A McCormick, S.C., man was arrested Wednesday afternoon by the Columbia County Sheriff's Office in connection with more than $117,000 worth of jewelry missing from an Evans jewelry store.

Brian Adrian Gilchrist, 23, of the 300 block of Oak Hill Lane in McCormick, was charged with 335 counts of theft by taking for allegedly stealing 335 pieces of jewelry from his employer, Friedman's Jewelers at 4455 Washington Road, between July 2003 and February 2004, sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris said.

Discrepancies in reports to the company's home office led to an inventory count by security personnel and revealed $117,958.95 worth of jewelry missing from the store, authorities said.

Investigators continue the process of recovering the stolen jewelry, but many pieces might never be found because they were pawned at several local pawns shops, given away as gifts or sold to individuals, Morris said. Anyone with information about the missing jewelry, can call investigators at 541-1044.

Gilchrist is being held in the Columbia County Detention Center on a $100,050 bond, according to jail personnel. Investigators expect to make more arrests in the case.

Road rage turns threatening

A man reported to police Tuesday that someone threatened him after becoming irate on the road.

Anthony Steven Creighton, of Lincolnton, told police that he was driving to work on Washington Road near Evans between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Tuesday when a gray Dodge Colt driving quickly approached him from behind, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report.

The vehicle attempted to pass Creighton several times but couldn't because of slow traffic. Creighton said the driver tailgated him for several miles until finally going around him, the report stated.

When Creighton stopped at the traffic light at Washington Road and William Few Parkway, he said the other driver began cursing and screaming at him while pointing his fingers in the shape of a gun and motioned at Creighton as if he were shooting him. The driver then pulled an unknown object from inside his car and again pretended to shoot Creighton with it, the report stated.

The driver was last seen driving east on Washington Road.

Blue water

The manager of a local real estate management company told police Monday that someone turned the business's pool blue.

Sally Ann Petitt, the manager of Collier Management at 189 Old Petersburg Road, Martinez, told police that someone poured an unknown blue substance into the pool on the property, which turned the water blue, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report.

A plastic container that held the blue substance was found at the scene and was taken as evidence. Petitt said the company would prosecute if a suspect is found, the report stated.

House cleaned out

Some took everything, including the kitchen sink, from the vacant Evans home of a Statesboro, Ga., man.

Rex Miller, of the 2200 block of Old Register Way in Statesboro, told police that a mover discovered several large items and appliances missing from Miller's unoccupied residence at 932-A Furys Ferry Road. Items that were reported gone were: the air-conditioning unit, furnace, water heater, kitchen sink and cabinets, bathroom sink and shower stall, three electric wall sockets and the electric meter breaker box, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report.

Police discovered the front door of the home was forced open. Miller stated that the items were all present the first week of April. Photos were taken as evidence, and Miller said he would prosecute if suspects were identified.

Stolen cable reconnected

A Charter Communications employee told police Tuesday that a residence he previously cut cable service to was illegally receiving cable television.

Brian Lee Heard said that while he was checking a cable box April 14 on Broad Oak Road in Grovetown, he discovered that residents at a home on the 5000 block of Broad Oak Road were receiving cable illegally via a splitter on a neighbor's service line, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office report.

Heard said he removed the splitter disconnecting the illegal service but found another splitter installed when he checked the box again Tuesday, the report stated.

Deputies contacted the home's resident, who said he knew he was not entitled to cable service but failed to notify Charter Communications his service was still active, the report stated. He told police he had no knowledge of the illegal tap and assumed he was not responsible.

Heard removed the splitter, again disconnecting cable service to the residence, the report stated. Police informed him of warrant procedures on behalf of Charter Communications.