Police blotter
Murder trial delayed
The murder trail for an Augusta man was pushed off until the fall on the request of his attorney Monday.
Tom Edwin Chumley, 54, of the 300 block of Angela Street in Augusta, will not be tried on murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime until at least Oct. 28, giving his attorney, Richard Allen, time to complete a mental evaluation and go through more than 600 pages of information on the case, said District Attorney Danny Craig.
Chumley surrendered to police March 28 and admitted to the Feb. 2003 shooting of his mother, Meridith Guy.
Guilty pleas filed
A Martinez woman and an Evans teen accused of theft in separate cases pleaded guilty in a Columbia County court Monday.
Veronica Green Menefee, 35, could face up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to theft by taking. The former Columbia County Magistrate Court deputy clerk was arrested last August and charged with stealing more than $2,300 in fines paid to the court between September 2002 and July 2003.
Menefee's sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
Carlos Alberto Parada, 18, also pleaded guilty to 14 counts of entering an auto Monday as part of a negotiated plea agreement with the District Attorney's office. Parada was charged with 21 counts of entering an auto, 14 counts of theft by taking and a financial transaction card theft, according to court documents.
Parada could face up to five years for each count. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
Three sought in shoplifting
Two Hephzibah women were arrested Friday, and police are looking for a third woman in connection with a shoplifting incident at the Evans Wal-Mart location.
Willie Frank James Jr., a loss prevention for the store at 4471 Washington Road, told police Thursday that store employee Tabitha Lanese Timmons, 22, of the 3500 block of Oak View Place, rang up merchandise then voided the same items for another Hephzibah woman, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office incident report.
James said that Timmons then rang up more merchandise for a second Hephzibah woman, then did a price override for April Hunt, 22, of the 2600 block of Corning Street in Hephzibah, the report stated.
The unidentified Hephzibah woman paid only $1.01 for $65.53 worth of merchandise, and Hunt paid $9.63 for $16.89 worth of items, the report stated.
Police arrested Timmons and Hunt Friday and charged them with misdemeanor shoplifting. Each woman posted a $1,100 bond before being released later that day, according to jail records.
Computer missing
A computer was discovered missing after an uninvited guest entered a Martinez church.
David Lanier Newton, salesman for Acme Business Technologies, told police Thursday that someone entered Marvin United Methodist Church at 4400 Wheeler Road, through an unlocked back door between 6 and 6:45 p.m. and stole a $1,800 laptop computer before unlocking and leaving through the church's front door, according to a Columbia County Sheriff's office incident report.
The computer belonged to Acme Business Technologies and was on loan for a church function, the report stated.
Due to lack of evidence and the number of people in the church prior to police arrival, an investigator was not called.
Martinez fire report
Martinez Fire Department Activity Report for the week of June 20-26:
Structure fires, three; woods fire, one; vehicle fire, one; controlled burns, two; fire alarms, 15; medical calls, 20; rescue calls, four; investigations, four; public service, two; and other, three.