Police Blotter
The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office:
Hearing scheduled on animal neglect of 92 cats in home
A Columbia County Magistrates Court hearing is set for 1 p.m. today in a case involving 92 cats discovered in a Martinez woman's home Thursday.
Denise Beausoleil, of the 4200 block of Dunwoody Road in Springlakes subdivision, has been cited with animal neglect. The county's health and building standards departments also are investigating the case.
Authorities said that the home had feces and urine throughout and that at least five of the cats had an upper respiratory disease. The other cats, which were taken to the Columbia County Animal Care and Control Department in Appling, have been quarantined pending today's court hearing.
Linda Fulmer, the director of the county's Animal Care and Control Department, said there is no limit to the number of pets a person can have inside a home in Columbia County, but the animals must be properly cared for in healthy conditions.
Police charge man with shoplifting
An Augusta man was in jail Monday, accused of stealing from a Martinez store, then running from authorities.
Darryl Vonzell Sullivan, 42, of 14th Avenue in Augusta, was charged with shoplifting and obstruction or hindering a law enforcement officer, according to jail records. Sullivan has bond set at $2,200, but he is being held for Richmond County authorities on a probation violation, according to jail personnel.
The incident occurred just before 5 p.m. Thursday at the Martinez Wal-Mart when store officials say a man walked away from the store with nearly $250 in merchandise, including 11 pairs of work pants, a baseball hat and a pair of boots.
Wal-Mart managers flagged down Columbia County Deputy Ron Rivera-Colon, who chased Sullivan to his Nissan pickup truck, a sheriff's report states. Police say Sullivan entered the truck and locked the doors, repeatedly reaching for a black duffel bag and refusing to leave the vehicle. Rivera-Colon then broke the driver's-side window.
After more attempts to talk Sullivan into getting out, Rivera-Colon sprayed pepper spray in the truck. The report states Sullivan then exited the vehicle's passenger side and ran through a parking lot and in front of a Bi-Lo, then into the Office Max on Bobby Jones Expressway. Sullivan ran through the store's rear doors, but was captured after another short foot chase.
Police say Sullivan acted as though he was having seizures while being taken to jail and was taken to University Hospital before being booked at the county detention center.
Manager reports man walked out with store's cash
The manager of a Dollar General store told police Friday that a man walked out with nearly $100 of the store's money.
The manager of the store at 218 Bobby Jones Expressway told police that on Jan. 27, a man paid for some items with a $100 bill. The cashier gave the man $90.36 in change, but the man said he had the correct change for the bill and asked for his $100 bill back, according to a sheriff's office incident report.
The manager said the man took the $100 bill and left the store with his merchandise and without returning the $90.36 change.
Man says someone stole cars' gasoline
A Martinez man told police Saturday that someone stole gasoline from his two vehicles.
The man, who lives in the 4200 block of Wheeler Road, said that someone removed the gas caps from his 1992 Ford Bronco and 1979 Chevrolet Camaro early Saturday morning and took the gasoline from their tanks, according to a sheriff's office incident report.
The cars' owner said that he is unsure how much gas was stolen but that the gas caps were found on the property.
Martinez Fire Department activity report for the week of Feb. 6-12:
Structure fire (mutual aid), one; woods fires, two; grass fire, one; fire alarms, seven; natural gas leak, one; medical calls, 25; rescue calls, 12; investigations, two; public service, one; and public safety assistance, two.