Police blotter

Motorcyclist killed in crash during race

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A Martinez man died Sunday after he wrecked his sport motorcycle during a race near Savannah, Ga.

Rory Partin, 30, was leading the first lap of the 600-cc Superstock Novice race at the Roebling Road Race Track when he lost control of his sport bike in front of 20 other racers, according to RoadRacingWorld.com. Partin died from injuries he suffered in the crash.

He had begun racing with Western Eastern Racing Association in 2005, according to the Web site.

The following accounts were taken from reports provided by the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. Additional reports are available at www.columbia countyso.org:

Man charged with stealing pine mulch

A Martinez man was arrested Tuesday after Kmart employees said they saw him steal four bags of pine bark mulch.

John Robert Sorrells, 60, was charged with misdemeanor theft by shoplifting. He was released from the Columbia County Detention Center on Tuesday afternoon after posting a $1,100 bond, according to jail records.

An employee at the store at 3830 Washington Road, Martinez, told police that about noon, Sorrells purchased three bags of mulch but was loading extra bags into his car near the garden center. When the store's loss prevention officer tried to confront Sorrells, Sorrells backed out of the parking lot.

Police found Sorrells, and he returned to Kmart. He said he had paid for six bags of pine bark and grabbed an extra one because he believed he was missing a bag from the last time he purchased mulch. Sorrells opened his trunk and removed the four bags of mulch, worth $10, that he hadn't paid for.

PayPal, eBay accounts hacked

An Evans woman called police Monday after she discovered someone had hacked into her eBay and PayPal accounts.

The 36-year-old woman said someone accessed her eBay account and tried to purchase items, then tried to get into her PayPal account but was denied by PayPal security.

She said the hacker locked her out of her e-mail account and changed the e-mail address to receive the new password for her PayPal account. The e-mail account contained information for creditors, bank and mortgage accounts.

Woman threatened in phone message

Police responded to a Grovetown residence Tuesday evening after the homeowner said she received a threatening message.

The woman said she got home from work at 6:10 p.m. and heard a caller on her answering machine whispering, "I'm going to kill you."

A caller identification did not record on her caller ID system.