Police blotter
Two men guilty in Grovetown slaying
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A Columbia County jury convicted two Augusta men Friday of murder, and each was sentenced to life in prison.
After more than seven hours of deliberation, the jury found Willie Bernard Butler, 20, and Martin Napoleon Holmes, 18, guilty in the September 2008 killing of 33-year-old Rickey Gibson in his Grovetown home.
Butler, Holmes and three other men -- Karmbi Octavious Young, 20; Patrick Booker, 19; and Garland Ray Pittman, 15 -- were accused of killing Gibson during a home invasion. A jury convicted Young in August.
In addition to felony and malice murder charges, the jury found Butler and Holmes guilty of burglary, armed robbery, aggravated assault, kidnapping, hijacking a motor vehicle and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Holmes also was found guilty of misdemeanor marijuana possession.
Superior Court Judge James G. Blanchard Jr. sentenced the men to life in prison in addition to 20-year sentences on many of the other charges.
During the trial, Blanchard dismissed a juror for discussing the case with other jurors and possibly proclaiming that he believed the defendants were innocent. The juror never admitted that he proclaimed the defendants' innocence, but said the prosecution hadn't made a strong case and that he recognized Gibson from a photo.
Martinez man leads chase in stolen car
A Martinez man was arrested Friday after a brief vehicle pursuit by Columbia County deputies.
Xavier Ranier Harper, 21, of the 3500 block of Revere Place, is charged with theft by stolen property, fleeing and attempting to elude officers, failure to stop at the scene of an accident, reckless driving, driving without a license and other traffic charges. He was being held in the Columbia County Detention Center Tuesday on $11,400 bond, according to jail records.
Harper was driving a Toyota Yaris that was reported stolen in Richmond County, said Columbia County sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris.
The police pursuit started on Baston Road in Martinez about 12:15 p.m. and lasted for about five minutes, with speeds never exceeding 50 mph, Morris said. Harper reportedly jumped from the vehicle as it was moving and was apprehended after a brief foot chase.
Teen charged with lifting girl's skirt
A 16-year-old Lakeside High School student who police said lifted a girl's skirt in a crowded hallway was arrested Thursday.
Columbia County sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris said deputies were called to the school about 11 a.m.
The teen had been walking behind a 16-year-old girl during class changes when he grabbed her skirt and lifted it to chest height, Morris said. The incident occurred in full view of other students and staff in the hallway and was captured on the school's surveillance video, Morris said.
The teen was taken into custody as a juvenile and charged with one misdemeanor count of sexual battery, Morris said. He was later released to his parents. The student was suspended from school pending review by the county's hearing officer and could be suspended for the remainder of the semester, Lakeside High School principal Jeff Carney said.
The following accounts were taken from reports from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. Additional reports are available at www.columbiacountyso.org:
Clothes, make-up tried during burglary
An Evans woman called police Saturday after realizing someone had broken into her home, used her make-up and tried on her clothes.
The 46-year-old woman said when she returned home about 11:30 p.m. Friday the back door was open. She said someone had been inside her home while she was away.
The woman said someone went into her bathroom, used her mascara and then used make-up remover to remove the mascara. The woman said the burglar tried on several of her dresses and ripped one.
School visit ends with man's arrest
A 20-year-old Martinez man was arrested Friday after he brought a knife onto Evans High School property.
Jacob Drew Harris, of the 200 block of Old Mill Road, was charged with criminal trespass and bringing a weapon onto school property. He was released from the Columbia County Detention Center Friday after posting a $6,200 bond, according to jail personnel.
An Evans High assistant principal told police that about 10:30 a.m. Harris and Dakota Shea English, 18, entered the school at 4550 Cox Road in Evans to eat lunch with someone. The assistant principal asked both men to leave.
About an hour later, the assistant principal said the men entered the school cafeteria through a back door and sat at a lunch table. He confronted the men a second time and escorted them to the office, where they claimed they came to the school to get gas money. During a search, police found a small switchblade knife in Harris' shoe.
English, of Blanchard Road in Evans, also was charged with criminal trespass and was released from the jail Friday after posting $1,100 bond, according to jailors.
Martinez Columbia Fire Rescue report for Sept. 27-Oct. 3:
Structure fire, one; vehicle fires, two; controlled/unauthorized burns, six; activated fire alarms, 10; gas line ruptures, three; electrical incidents, three; medical incidents, 24; vehicle accidents, 12; investigate various incidents, four; assist citizens, one; and mutual aid/public safety assistance, one.