Police Blotter
Battery charge filed
An 11-year-old Evans Middle School pupil was charged with simple battery Wednesday after a scuffle with a classmate.
The pupil, whose name wasn't identified because of his age, was later released to his parents, said Columbia County sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris.
The incident occurred shortly before lunchtime at the school when the boy and another 11-year-old pupil bumped into each other in a hall, Morris said, adding that the boy who was charged reportedly then struck the other pupil.
Police captain returns to job
A captain in the Grovetown Department of Public Safety has returned to his job after being suspended for four days this month after officials determined he misused government property.
Grovetown Mayor Dennis Trudeau said Tuesday that Capt. Gary Owens was suspended for four days, one without pay, after an internal investigation determined he had questionable personal photos on his work computer.
Trudeau declined to explain the nature of the photos.
The internal investigation, Trudeau said, was spurred by two letters of allegations against Owens that were sent to the mayor's office two months ago. Trudeau said all other allegations were proven to be false.
The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office:
School vandalism
Evans Middle School's principal told police Monday someone damaged 10 of his school's computers.
Principal Michael Wright said someone used an unknown item with a magnet attached to the end and engraved black markings on the 17-inch computer monitors, a sheriff's office report states.
Wright said that the monitors could not be repaired and that the vandalism occurred sometime between Oct. 7 and Monday. The computers' estimated value was reported at $1,450.
Theft by taking
A Dearing man told police Monday he spotted his stolen tractor-trailer while driving on Lewiston Road.
The man said he was northbound on Lewiston when he saw a southbound pickup pulling a trailer that looked like one he owned.
The man then drove to where his trailer had been at the 100 block of Lewiston Road and discovered it had been stolen. The trailer was loaded down with old wallboard and covered with green tarp and had its estimated worth at $33,000.
Auto theft reported
A Wal-Mart employee told police Monday someone stole her vehicle from the business's parking lot.
The 42-year-old woman, who works at the Martinez store on Bobby Jones Expressway, said she last saw her vehicle at 5:30 p.m. when she parked and locked it to go to lunch.
The vehicle's estimated value is $24,000.