Police Blotter
These accounts were taken from reports from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. More reports are available at www.columbiacountyso.org:
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Lost fingers lead to explosives probe
Federal and local authorities continue to investigate a Martinez homeowner who was injured in a small blast last week.
Officials with the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Fort Gordon; the Columbia County Sheriff's Office; and the Richmond County sheriff's bomb squad spent much of the day Saturday at 319 Sally Drive, off Furys Ferry Road near River Watch Parkway.
Authorities said they arrived Friday after learning the homeowner, Chad Wells, 37, had been injured in an explosion.
Columbia County sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris said "bomb-making ingredients" were found at the home.
He said Wells, a Realtor, lived there alone and "has lost one if not numerous fingers."
Anthony Russo, a supervisory senior resident agent for the FBI's Augusta office, said the case was turned over to the ATF after officials ruled out any connection to terrorism.
Man demands cash from Martinez shop
Police searched Thursday morning for a man they say robbed a Martinez Family Dollar store.
The manager of the store at 365 S. Belair Road told police that a man entered the store about 9:50 a.m., pulled a semiautomatic pistol and demanded money. He put the gun to her back, demanded she put cash from the register into a bag and forced her into the back of the store, where he told her to give him the surveillance videotape.
The man was last seen on foot along the fence line behind the store near Belair Villas.
About 3:30 the next morning, a deputy noticed that the front glass door of the store had been broken out, apparently with a large rock.
Man's wallet taken near gas station
A Grovetown man told police Thursday morning that he had been robbed at gunpoint near a gas station.
The 29-year-old man said he was leaving the Pilot gas station at 4087 Jimmie Dyess Parkway near Grovetown about 2 a.m. when he heard two men tell him to give up his money. He turned and walked away, but one man grabbed him and threw him to the ground.
While the victim was on the ground, one assailant kicked him in the head, went through his pockets and took his wallet, which contained $8 and photos of his son.
Mother calls salon about girl's dye job
The owner of a Martinez hair salon told police Thursday that someone left threatening messages on the answering machine.
The owner of A Cut Above, 3929 Roberts Road, said that a woman had left a message stating the salon was responsible for removing blond streaks from her daughter's hair during a recent appointment.
She said that it cost $50,000 to put the streaks in and that the business now owes her daughter $100,000.
The caller also threatened that the business was not going to get away with it.
Martinez-Columbia Fire Rescue activity report, Jan. 11-17: Structure fire, six; wood/brush/grass fire, one; vehicle fire, one; controlled/unauthorized burns, three; other fire, one; activated fire alarms, six; activated carbon monoxide detector, one; gas line ruptures, two; medical incidents, 16; vehicle accidents, eight; electrical incident, one; investigate various incidents, four; assist residents, three; mutual aid/public safety assistance, three; and other, two.