Police Blotter
Augusta boy drowns at Clarks Hill Lake
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A 9-year-old Augusta boy drowned Sunday while at Clarks Hill Lake with his family.
Jonathan Tyler Thomas, of Diane Drive, died off West Dam recreation area, Columbia County Coroner Vernon Collins said.
The boy was last seen playing in the water just after 4 p.m., Collins said. Members of the Columbia County Dive-Rescue-Recovery Team found Jonathan's body about 7:45 p.m., according to Pam Tucker, the director of Columbia County Emergency Management Agency.
The drowning is the fourth at Clarks Hill Lake this season. Three have occurred at West Dam and one at Lake Springs, Tucker said.
The following accounts were taken from reports from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. Additional reports are available at www.columbiacountyso.org:
Teen charged with shooting cars
A Fort Gordon teen was arrested Friday after admitting to using a paintball gun to shoot at least five vehicles.
Stephen Wesley Hunt II, 17, of Myer Drive, was charged with criminal trespass and carrying a concealed weapon. He was released from the Columbia County Detention Center Friday after posting a $3,400 bond, according to jail records.
Police responded to Flintrock Way in Martinez just before midnight, when a resident reported that someone in a late-model, bright-colored vehicle drove past his home and shot at parked vehicles on the street adjacent to his property. Five vehicles at the man's residence had been shot with paintballs, and several were damaged with a pellet gun.
Minutes later, police pulled over a green Scion driven by Hunt. There was a paintball gun in the back seat. Deputies searched the vehicle and found another paintball gun containing the same color paintballs as those used to damage the vehicles and a loaded replica Beretta BB gun under the driver's seat.
Hunt admitted to shooting the paintballs but said someone else used the pellet gun.
Woman discovers stranger inside car
A South Carolina woman called police Saturday after she found someone inside her car while it was parked at a Martinez repair shop.
The 53-year-old said that about 2:45 p.m., she went to pick up her Mitisubishi Galant from Georgia Auto Repair on Oak Drive. When she opened the door of the car, which was parked on the west side of the building, she found the man sitting inside.
She said the man said he thought the car belonged to his friend.
The woman said he got out of the car and was walking away when he was confronted by several shop employees. The man ran away, dropping a black hat and a black pair of pants. Deputies were unable to find him.
Woman interrupts men in Grovetown backyard
A Grovetown woman told police that she found two men in her backyard.
The 25-year-old said that at 8:45 p.m. Friday, she had heard a vehicle pull into the backyard. When she looked out the back door, she saw a small red truck in the yard, backed up to her shed.
She said the driver's door was open and a man was standing between the door and cab. A second man was at the door of the shed.
When she shouted at the men, they got into the truck and left. The truck had a loud exhaust and no tag. Nothing appeared to be missing from the shed.
Martinez-Columbia Fire Rescue Activity Report for the week of July 6-12:
Structure fires, seven; wood/brush/grass fires, three; vehicle fires, two; controlled/unauthorized burns, four; other fires, two; activated fire alarms, 13; medical incidents, 18; vehicle accidents, seven; gas line ruptures, four; weather damage, three; investigate various incidents, four; assist residents, three; and mutual aid/public safety assistance, three.