Police Blotter

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

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Appling man charged with making threats

An Appling man was arrested Friday on charges he threatened to shoot a man after an argument.

David Warren Lerch, 47, was charged with committing terroristic threat and acts. He was taken to the Columbia County Detention Center, where he was released Saturday after posting a $2,600 bond, according to jail records.

Deputies first were called Friday after a 60-year-old Appling man said he received a call warning him that Lerch was coming to his home armed with a loaded.22-caliber rifle.

The resident said that he and Lerch had been in a verbal and physical fight Thursday night but that he thought it was over.

Lerch's brother-in-law called the resident to tell him that Lerch was intoxicated and was coming to his house with a rifle. The resident said he heard three shots fired in the woods near his house and called 911.

The brother-in-law said Lerch had been firing the rifle from his back porch and told him he would teach the resident a lesson and that "someone had to kill him."

Lerch's brother-in-law said he removed the cartridges from the rifle but that Lerch took the rifle to his truck and left. When Lerch returned, he said he had shot only toward the ground.

Guns stolen from area residences

Numerous firearms were taken recently in Martinez and Appling.

On Thursday, a Martinez man called police after finding that the front door of his home had been forced open.

The resident said that someone had kicked in the door and stolen a Smith & Wesson.44 Magnum revolver valued at $900, ammunition and a Bianchi gun belt worth $550.

He said he saw two juveniles in his backyard when he arrived home for lunch.

On Sunday, an Appling man told police that several loaded firearms had been taken from his residence and a threatening note left.

He said that he and a friend left his house about 9 a.m. Saturday and returned about 11 p.m. He said his front door was locked and he did not notice any signs of forced entry on his return.

Six firearms totaling $1,950 were taken and the note left on his front porch. He said a Wal-Mart receipt and a birthday card were left outside his front gate.

Motorcycle stolen

An Evans man called police Thursday after his motorcycle was taken from the front of his apartment.

He said his Kawasaki. valued at $12,000, was taken between 4:45 a.m. and 7 a.m. He said the motorcycle's headlight was broken and was held together with a piece of white masking tape.

RV vandalized with black spray paint

A Martinez man told police Sunday someone vandalized his recreational vehicle with black spray paint.

Police noticed a line of spray paint about three feet long with the initials "R.V." on the side of the RV.

The man said he has been having problems with vandalism at his house, which had been placed on concentrated patrol by the sheriff's office.