Police Blotter

Police seek victims of thefts from mail

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Columbia County deputies are looking for the victims of a newspaper delivery carrier whom they suspect in mail thefts in the Appling area.

Police arrested Matthew Douglas Shaffer, 27, of the 3800 block of Suan Drive, Appling, on Friday. He was charged with five counts of misdemeanor theft by taking, although the number of charges is pending, Columbia County sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris said. The incident has been reported to the U.S. Postal Service, which could also pursue charges.

Shaffer was released from the Columbia County Detention Center on Friday after posting a $5,500 bond, according to jailers.

Shaffer, an independent contractor, had been delivering The Augusta Chronicle for a couple of weeks. During that time, several residents in the Winfield Hills and Mistletoe areas reported missing mail, Morris said.

Police set up a sting by putting mail, including cards with cash in them, into mailboxes in the area. They said they caught Shaffer going through and stealing mail. He stole mainly cards, cash, gift cards and small packages that would fit inside a mailbox, Morris said.

Morris said residents in the west end of Columbia County who believe their mail was stolen, didn't receive mail or sent mail that didn't reach its destination should call the sheriff's office at (706) 541-1044.

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

Woman attacked, threatened in home

A man forced his way into an Evans woman's apartment Thursday and attacked her.

The woman said that about 10:30 a.m. someone knocked on her Commons Drive apartment door claiming to be from FedEx. When she opened the door, a man wearing black clothing and a mask pushed her back into the apartment and punched her in the eye.

The woman said the intruder hit her head against a wall twice, said, "You'd better mind your own business," and left.

Woman arrested in stabbing, assault

A woman was arrested Friday after she beat a man with a bat and stabbed him before punching an emergency medical worker.

Lyndie Darlene Gulino, 48, was charged with aggravated assault and simple assault. She was held Monday in the Columbia County Detention Center on a $27,600 bond, according to jail records.

A Grovetown man said Gulino, who lives at the same address, attacked him with a bat at his Morris Road home about 12:45 a.m. The 67-year-old said he got the bat away from her by hitting her hands and arms with another bat. After losing the bat, she grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed him in the chest.

The man ran to a neighbor's home, where he banged on the door and asked for help. The neighbor called police. He was taken to Medical College of Georgia Hospital.

Gulino told deputies the man had attacked her with a bat. She said that she was knocked unconscious and that he was gone when she awoke. Gulino said she doesn't know how the man was stabbed.

Gulino requested medical treatment. As an emergency medical worker helped her walk to an ambulance, she became violent and tried to punch the EMT in the face. Police saw the technician dodge the punch, and they arrested Gulino.

Man finds obscene drawing in driveway

A Grovetown man told police on Easter Sunday that someone used sidewalk chalk to draw on his driveway.

The 33-year-old said that between 10 a.m. and 12:50 p.m. someone used colored sidewalk chalk to draw a picture of a penis at his High Meadows Circle home.

Thief leaves tracks in yard's pollen

Someone stole a Martinez man's motorcycle during the weekend.

The 24-year-old said his Suzuki sport bike, which was in front of his Blue Ridge Drive apartment, was stolen between midnight and 6 a.m. Monday. The motorcycle, which he normally keeps in storage, was in front of the apartment for two days.

Police followed tire tracks left in pollen to a golf cart path that leads to the Old Petersburg Road side of the apartment complex. Police lost the tracks on the path.

Martinez-Columbia Fire Rescue report for March 28-April 3:

Structure fires, three; wood/brush/grass fires, six; vehicle fire, one; controlled/unauthorized burns, four; other fire, one; activated fire alarms, nine; gas line ruptures, three; medical incidents, 19; vehicle accidents, 10; rescue incident, one; weather damage, one; investigate various incidents, nine; and assist residents, two.