Police Blotter
The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office:
Break-in discovered at Grovetown home
A break-in at a Grovetown home Dec. 26 resulted in nothing stolen. In fact, something was left behind.
A caregiver for the resident of the home at the 600 block of Al Dempsey Road reported to police that she found a broken window and the front door unlocked when she went to check on the home that day.
Nothing had been taken, but the intruder appeared to have slept in one of the beds and left several cigarette butts behind in an ashtray, according to a police report. Police canvassed the area around the home, but found nothing.
Visitor from Vegas attacked in Evans
A Las Vegas man was beaten and robbed in Evans in the early morning hours of Dec. 23.
The victim told police he was approached from behind by two men on North Belair Road at about 2 a.m. He said one of the men hit him on the head, knocking him to the ground.
After asking for money, the Las Vegas man said, the two men picked him up and slammed him to the ground, according a police report.
Once he gave the suspects his wallet, the victim said the two men left, but returned moments later. They again slammed him onto the ground and asked for more money, he said. The man said he managed to walk back to a home on Hickory Drive, where he was staying, and called for help.
Cashier reports scam
A teen cashier for an Evans car wash was scammed out of about $500 Dec. 21, according to a police report.
A 19-year-old woman, who works for the Top-Notch car wash at 512 North Belair Road, said a man purchased a car air freshener for $1.27 and paid with a $100 bill.
The man then asked the teen to exchange $100 bills from the register for smaller bills, she told police.
The cashier said the man distracted her by constantly talking and recounting money while she was trying to count as well. She gave the man four $100 bills in exchange for what she thought was the same amount in smaller bills, according to a police report.
When receipts were totaled the next day, her cash register was $508 short.
Marine's borrowed car broken into in Martinez
A Marine visiting family for the holidays told police Dec. 28 that the car he was driving, which belonged to a fellow Marine, was broken into and had thousands of dollars in stereo equipment and compact discs taken from it.
The Marine, who is based in Texas, told police his friend and fellow Marine loaned him a 2003 Dodge Neon to drive home for Christmas, according to the incident report.
The car began to give him problems late Dec. 27, the Marine told police, and he parked it in front of Oakley Plaza on South Belair Road for the night, according to the report.
Someone entered the car by breaking the driver's side rear window.
The value of the items stolen is estimated at $5,800.