Police blotter

Man hospitalized after lake accident

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A man riding a personal watercraft was airlifted to Medical College of Georgia Hospital on Saturday after falling off and injuring his head at Wildwood Park, a Columbia County Sheriff's Office dispatcher said.

Joel David McClennen, 21, of Fort Mill, S.C., was hurt shortly before 3 p.m.

He had three cuts to the head, said Robin Hill, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Hill said she was not aware of what caused the accident.

McClennen was in fair condition Monday morning, a hospital spokeswoman said.

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

Phony check writer tries at store again

Police responded to the Wal-Mart in Evans on Friday after a manager recognized a man trying to write a bad check.

The loss-prevention officer of the store at 4469 Washington Road told police that at 4:15 p.m. the man tried to buy about $840 worth of merchandise using a bad check. When the cashier tried to run the check through the register, it was declined and she called a manager.

The manager said she recognized the man as one who tried to cash a $1,080 check Thursday. The manager took the check to customer service and contacted the corporate store, which said the check was written on a closed account.

By the time police arrived, the man had left the store.

Richmond County deputy car entered

A Richmond County Sheriff's Office car was broken into at an Evans apartment complex Thursday.

A deputy told police that between 2:30 and 9 p.m., someone broke into his patrol car, which was in front of the tennis courts at Wedgewood Apartments, 473 Old Evans Road.

The driver's window appeared to have been pried, then shattered and pushed in.

The deputy reported that nearly $5,000 worth of items were taken, including two cameras, a computer, a computer carrying case and accessories.

The break-in caused about $300 damage to the car.

Evicted renter returns to home

The landlady of a Martinez rental home called police Thursday after finding a former renter sleeping in a back room.

She told police when she entered the property on Berrien Court just after midnight Thursday, she found an unresponsive man lying on the bedroom floor. She identified him as a former tenant who had been evicted and was not welcome on the property.

The intruder had gotten into the residence because the home had been left unlocked for contractors, she said.

Martinez-Columbia Fire Rescue Activity Report for the week of June 22-28:

Structure fire, one; wood/brush/grass fires, two; vehicle fires, three; activated fire alarms, seven; medical incidents, 20; vehicle accidents, 11; rescue incident, one; investigate various incidents, three; weather damage, one; assist citizens, two; and mutual aid/public safety assistance, one.