Police blotter
The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
Cards returned without gifts
A Martinez woman told police Dec. 29 that someone stole gift cards that had been mailed to her.
The woman told police that someone stole two $20 Wal-Mart gift cards from Christmas cards that had been mailed by her sister Dec. 18 from Piedmont, S.C., to her former address on Shady Grove Court, a sheriff's office report stated.
The woman said her sister received a letter Dec. 28 with no return address. The letter contained the two ripped-up Christmas cards along with curse words written on them and no gift cards inside, the report stated.
Threatening phone call received
A Martinez man told police that a man called him Thursday night threatening to harm him unless he agreed to provide him with guns and ammunition.
The victim said he received a phone call from an unidentified man just after 6:30 p.m. The man said he needed some guns and ammunition, the sheriff's office report stated.
The victim told police the caller threatened to kill him and burn his house down unless he gave him guns and ammunition.
Counterfeit check is reported
A manager at the Evans Wal-Mart told police Friday that a man fled after attempting to cash a counterfeit check in the store.
The manager of the Washington Road store told police the man tried to cash a counterfeit $400 payroll check from Econo Lodge just after 2:30 p.m.
The man starting acting suspicious when the clerk said the check had to be cleared through a manager, a sheriff's office report stated.
The manager said the man grabbed the check and ran into the parking lot, where he got into a white Mazda with a Pennsylvania tag.
Police later discovered the Mazda was a rental car from Hertz Leasing, based in Pittsburgh, Pa. The man also is reportedly a suspect in similar previous cases.
Martinez Fire Department Activity Report for the week of Dec. 26-Jan.1:
Structure fire, one; woods fires, two; vehicle fires, two; controlled burn, one; fire alarms, seven; medical calls, 34; rescue calls, eight; investigations, six; public service, three; and other, one.