Police blotter
The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office:
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Two arrested after running from police
Two men face theft charges after they ran from police in a stolen vehicle.
Lonnie Bargeron, 23, of the 900 block of Napiers Post Drive in Evans, and Reginald Jerome McGee, 19, of the 2500 block of Wheeler Road in Augusta, were charged with theft by taking and were being held without bond Friday in the Columbia County Detention Center, according to jail personnel. Bargeron also was charged with fleeing and attempting to elude and interference with government property, according to jail personnel.
An Evans man told police that he got a call about 9 p.m. Dec. 21 from his daughter, who was at their Napiers Post Drive home, that she saw his Toyota 4Runner being driven away. The man found the vehicle, called police and followed it.
When police found the sport utility vehicle, driven by Bargeron, he refused to stop and drove into Richmond County, where the men were caught by the Georgia State Patrol. During the pursuit, Bargeron backed the 4Runner into the bumper of a patrol car while blocked in by vehicles at the intersection of Columbia and Belair roads.
A third man was believed to be a passenger in the vehicle, but fled after the pursuit ended.
Two accused in car break-ins
Two men were arrested Dec. 22 in a recent rash of thefts from vehicles in two Evans subdivisions.
Kristopher Karl Helms, 23, of the 4400 block of Sapelo Drive in Evans, and Timothy Charles Barrett, 21, of the 100 block of Habersham Drive in Athens, Ga., were charged with entering auto and misdemeanor theft by taking and were being held without bond Friday in the Columbia County Detention Center, according to jail personnel.
An Evans woman called the Columbia County Sheriff's Office just before 7 a.m. and said she had heard the garage door of her Andover Court home open and seen a man coming out of her laundry room. When deputies arrived, they found Helms and Barrett walking in the neighborhood.
Both men told deputies they knew someone in the area and were just out for a walk. While deputies patted down Helms and Barrett, several neighbors reported that their vehicles had been broken into and items stolen. Deputies noticed both men had "bulky" pockets and found several items when they had the men empty their pockets.
The neighbors identified several of the items as being stolen from their vehicles. The men are believed to be involved in at least 12 thefts and incidents of auto break-ins in High Grove and Stratford subdivisions in which electronics, credit cards and other items were stolen.
Man's motorcycle sabotaged with lock
A Martinez man called deputies because his motorcycle was damaged after someone placed a disc lock on his front tire.
The man said someone put the disc lock on the front tire of his Harley-Davidson Road King while it was parked on the front walkway of his home between 6:30 p.m. Dec. 20 and 5 a.m. Dec. 21.
The man said he did not realize the lock was on the front wheel when he tried to drive the motorcycle, causing $350 damage to the front brake. He told police he found keys to the lock under the motorcycle and was able to remove it without further damage to the bike.
Wal-Mart employee accused of tire theft
An employee of the Wal-Mart in Evans was arrested recently after he was accused of stealing tires.
Jerome Avery Manuel, 19, of the 200 block of Farmington Drive in Evans, was charged with misdemeanor shoplifting and was released from the Columbia County Detention Center Dec. 22 after posting $1,100 bond, according to jail personnel.
A loss-prevention associate at the store at 4471 Washington Road said Manuel admitted to stealing the tires for a relative.