Police Blotter
The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
William Howell, 17, a student at Greenbrier High School, died in a one-car accident.
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Car crash kills Evans teenager
A Greenbrier High School student died in a single-car crash Sunday night on William Few Parkway.
William Ryan Howell, 17, of the 2300 block of William Few Parkway in Evans, was driving home from his job at the Bojangles restaurant at William Few Parkway and Washington Road at about 10:45 p.m. when he lost control of his Chevrolet Camaro, Columbia County sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris said.
Police said the driver was negotiating a southbound curve roughly one-half mile south of Windmill Parkway. The car slid across the northbound lane and up an embankment before slamming into a power pole, Morris said.
Columbia County Deputy Coroner Vernon Collins said Howell died of blunt force trauma. Collins said he does not suspect alcohol or drugs were factors in the incident.
Woman is charged in man's shooting
A Martinez man was hospitalized Sunday night after he was shot in the head by his girlfriend, police said.
Delrico Thornton, 27, of the 4400 block of Misty Cove Court, was taken to Medical College of Georgia Hospital, where he is listed as a "no-information" patient, hospital spokeswoman Danielle Wong Moores said Monday.
Police responded to a report of the shooting on Misty Cove Court at about 11 p.m. Sunday.
Columbia County sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris said deputies found Thornton at the scene and believe he was shot with a .22-caliber gun.
Morris said Thornton had arrived at the home that he shares with Felicia Fortune, 33, to pick up some of his belongings when an argument began and the shooting occurred.
Fortune was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and two counts of cruelty to children in the third degree. Although she did not witness the shooting. Fortune's 15-year-old daughter was in the home when the incident occurred, Morris said.
Fortune is being held in the Columbia County Detention Center on a combined bond of $27,300, jailors said.
The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
Grovetown pastor says pranks continue
The pastor of a Grovetown church told police last week that someone left a snake in the mailbox.
Richard William Boyd, 76, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church at 714 Reynolds Road, told police Feb. 23 that someone intentionally interfered with the church mailbox by putting a dead snake in it, according to a sheriff's office report.
Boyd said the snake's head had been removed, leaving a small amount of blood in the mailbox. He told police that such "pranks" were a recurring problem for the church.
Woman reports damage in yard
An Evans woman reported to police Feb. 23 that someone had damaged several items in her yard.
Sherri Ann Barajas, 34, of the 4700 block of Rhett Drive, told police that someone had vandalized her yard while her family was at church, between 5:30 and 9:15 p.m. Upon returning home, she noticed three 50-foot garden hoses stretched across the front yard, each with multiple cuts from a sharp object, according to a sheriff's office incident report.
Barajas also said the door mat was missing and a dog leash had been cut in half.
Martinez-Columbia Fire and Rescue Activity Report for the week of Feb. 20-26:
Structure fires, one; vehicle fires, four; controlled burn, one; fire alarms, eight; natural gas leaks, two; medical calls, 32; rescue calls, five; investigation, three; and other, one.