Police blotter
Evans man pleads in sexual battery
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An Evans man accused of inappropriately touching a teenage girl four years ago was sentenced to probation last week.
Superior Court Judge Neal W. Dickert sentenced Edward George Ferrang, 56, on Oct. 1 to spend three years on probation, pay a $2,000 fine and register as a sex offender.
Ferrang entered an Alford plea, which allows him to plead guilty and not admit guilt, to sexual battery as part of a negotiated plea agreement with the district attorney's office.
Ferrang, of the 1300 block of Shadow Oak Drive, was arrested Jan. 5 after allegations arose that he molested a girl over a long period starting when she was 9. Ferrang was indicted on aggravated sexual battery and five counts of child molestation, according to court records. He spent 35 days in jail before being granted a $100,000 bond.
Two Martinez teens charged in arsons
Two 14-year-old Martinez boys were arrested last week on arson and theft charges.
The boys were arrested Oct. 1, accused of being involved in two fires, in add ti on to theft and damage of a lawn mower. The teens lit a fire on the porch of an Evans home and started a fire behind Lakeside High School, according to a sheriff's office incident report. No one was injured in the fires.
The boys were charged with first-degree arson, third-degree arson and theft by taking, sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris said. The teens were released from the Columbia County Detention Center to their parents, Morris said.
The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office:
Intruders damage Jones Creek club
The general manager of an Evans golf club called police last week to report that someone had burglarized the club and damaged golf cars and bathroom facilities.
The official at Jones Creek Golf Club, 77 Jones Creek Drive, said Oct. 3 that between 8:30 Sept. 30 and 6 a.m. Oct. 1, someone had entered the basement of the club, where golf cars are stored, and stole keys to 15 cars and disabled the throttle cables of the cars.
The manager told police that all the cars also had been unplugged from the chargers and were unavailable for immediate use.
Golf balls were found in basement toilets, rendering the facilities unusable. The manager said he believes former employees might be involved, but is unsure which ones.
Halloween decor torched at school
Police responded to a fire reported at an Appling elementary school Sunday morning.
The deputy responding to North Columbia Elementary School, 2874 Ray Owens Road, at 1:30 a.m. found that a decorative straw scarecrow had been burned. The $10 scarecrow had been tied to a fence in front of the school as a Halloween decoration.
Nothing else around school property was damaged or disturbed.
Evans man hurt during vandalism
An Evans man was sent to the hospital Thursday after he approached someone trespassing on his property.
The 49-year-old man told deputies that just after midnight Wednesday, he noticed the tamper alarm on his front lawn light display had been activated, so he crept out a back door and heard someone tampering with a control panel on the front of his Azalea Drive home. He went into the bushes to confront the intruder and saw a man, possibly a teenager, in the front bushes.
The resident told police he was then pushed from behind, hit his head on the brick siding of his home and passed out. When he regained consciousness, the intruder had left. Police found no damage to the control panel, but did find several power cords disconnected.
The resident complained of pain over his right eye. He was taken to Medical College of Georgia Hospital.
Martinez-Columbia Fire Rescue Activity Report for Sept. 30-Oct. 6:
Structure fires, three; wood/brush/grass fires, four; vehicle fires, two; controlled/unauthorized burns, one; fire alarms, 16; medical incidents, 23; vehicle accidents, 10; rescue incidents, one; investigate various incidents, two; and assist residents, one.