Police blotter
The following accounts were taken from reports from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. Reports are available at www.columbiacountyso.org:
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Teens say they were robbed by gunmen
Three teens were robbed at gunpoint on New Year's Eve by a man who gave them a ride, authorities said.
An 18-year-old Thomson resident and a juvenile told a sheriff's deputy in the parking lot of Huddle House in Harlem about the robbery. They said the 18-year-old and two juveniles had gotten a ride from a man and his passenger about 11:30 p.m. on County Line Road near Sawdust Road. The teens said the driver pulled over just before midnight so his passenger could use the bathroom.
The driver forced the teens out of the vehicle, pointed a handgun at them and demanded money, they said. The driver hit one teen in the head with the gun several times and made him give up his wallet, cell phone, cash and jacket. The driver stole a wallet and cell phone from the other two teens, according to reports.
Fraudulent workers burglarize home
A Martinez man told police Sunday that two men claiming to be measuring for new carpet stole from his home.
The 96-year-old said that about 5 p.m. two men arrived at his Columbia Road home unannounced and told him they were there to measure his living room for new carpet. While one man distracted the homeowner, the other walked through the home.
The man said $165, four checkbooks, a silver ring, a storage safe and a vehicle title were missing.
The homeowner called his home-appraisal company, who called police.
Home burglarized while owners away
An Augusta man called police to his parents' Martinez house Friday after finding that it had been burglarized while they were away.
He had arrived at the Allison Road residence about 2:45 p.m. He found the front and back doors open. Police discovered that the burglars had removed a window air conditioner in a bedroom to get in.
A safe was missing from the spare bedroom, and a revolver not belonging to the family was found where the safe had been. Several other items were missing, including two rifles and a coin collection from the master bedroom closet, and five watches and a large amount of women's jewelry from the bedroom dresser.
Truck with guns taken from yard
An Evans man told police on New Year's Eve that someone stole his truck from the front yard.
He said that he wasn't sure whether his 2008 GMC Sierra had been locked but that he kept the keys under the floor mat of his truck at his home on Brittany Drive. He discovered the truck missing about 8 a.m.
Inside the vehicle had been a handgun, a rifle, a Mongoose bicycle and a Gortex suit.
The owner contacted OnStar, which located the truck in Blythe, where police were notified.
Keys missing from apartment mailbox
A Martinez woman said someone took keys that she had left in her mailbox.
She said that about 3 p.m. Saturday, she checked her mail at Ridge Crossing Apartments and accidentally left her key ring, containing six keys, inside the mailbox. About 45 minutes later, she realized she had left the keys and went back for them, but they were gone.
She checked the area and the apartment complex but didn't find the keys.
Martinez Columbia Fire Rescue report for Dec. 27, 2009-Jan. 2, 2010:
Structure fires, eight; wood/brush/grass fires, two; vehicle fire, one; controlled/unauthorized burn, one; dumpster fire, one; activated fire alarms, 12; medical incidents, 21; vehicle accidents, seven; electrical incident, one; investigate various incidents, five; assist residents, one; and mutual aid/public safety assistance, one.