Police blotter
Interstate fire
A tractor-trailer fire on Interstate 20 on Tuesday night caused a temporary closure of the westbound lanes of I-20 near the Appling-Harlem exit, Columbia County sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris said.
The incident occurred at about 7 p.m., and there were no injuries, Morris said.
Firefighters from Harlem and North Columbia fire departments were able to extinguish the blaze, but Morris said westbound traffic was detoured for about 30 or 40 minutes onto Lewiston Road as a precaution.
Morris said the tractor-trailer caught fire because of a brake malfunction, which caused the rear axle to lock up.
The fire spread from a tire to the entire tractor-trailer, which was carrying a load of tires.
Morris said the driver, 46-year-old William Clark, of Tennessee, and a driver for the company Nationwide Express, was able to separate the cab from its trailer and drive a safe distance from the fire.
The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
Theft by taking
A Grovetown woman reported to police Tuesday that the person she allowed to test-drive her vehicle never returned it.
The woman, who lives in the 5000 block of Robin Lane, said the person has not returned her vehicle, which was advertised for sale.
The estimated value of the vehicle is $3,000.
The incident occurred between 11:30 a.m. and 2:28 p.m. Tuesday.
Theft by deception
A North Augusta man was arrested Tuesday after a general manager for a Martinez car dealership said he refused to pay for a vehicle after filling out paperwork to make a purchase.
Thomas Brad Newsome, 27, of the 100 block of Northwest Drive, was charged with theft by deception after police say he failed to return the vehicle, which belonged to Milton Ruben Chevrolet.
Newsome, who signed a contract agreeing to purchase the vehicle at its full amount, had been told he would have to make a payment no later than 8 a.m. Monday. According to the report, Newsome showed up at the dealership without the money or the vehicle and was then arrested.
The estimated value of the vehicle is $10,533. Newsome was taken to the Columbia County Detention Center, where he was being held Friday morning on a $10,100 bond.
Burglary reported
A Martinez cleaners business sustained $660 in damage Monday after someone burglarized the business by breaking a window.
The owner of Tudor Cleaners, located in the 3000 block of Honors Way, said someone stole $300 from his business after entering the building by throwing a concrete block through a window.
The total estimated value of the window is $360. The incident occurred between 1 a.m. and about 4:20 a.m. Jan. 9.