Police Blotter

Deputy fired after

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arrest on charges of stalking, threats

A Columbia County sheriff's deputy was fired Friday after his arrest.

Motorcycle deputy Gregory Key Kernaghan, 40, was charged with stalking, harassing phone calls and terroristic threats, according to Columbia County Detention Center records.

Kernaghan has been a deputy since 2007, after previously serving as a reserve deputy, said Capt. Steve Morris. Kernaghan was fired after his arrest, Morris said.

Teen shot during graduation party

Police are looking for a man who fired several shots, including one that struck an Augusta teen, during a high school graduation party in Martinez early Wednesday.

The 19-year-old was shot in the leg in the parking lot of Crawford Cabinets, 3831 Oak Drive, where a large Academy of Richmond County graduation party was being held, according to Columbia County sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris.

The victim said she was in the parking lot about 12:30 a.m. when she saw a fight among several young men. She told police she ran to her car after she heard gunshots. As she ran, she was shot in the leg, according to a sheriff's office incident report.

When police arrived, they were unable to find the shooter or the victim. The teen had driven herself and a friend to University Hospital for treatment and was later released.

At the hospital, the teen told police she did not know who shot her.

Anyone with information about the shooter should call the Columbia County 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:

Three arrested in forged-check case

Three people were arrested Monday after they attempted to cash a forged check at a Martinez grocery store.

At about 8:30 p.m. an employee of the Bi-Lo at 500 Furys Ferry Road said three people attempted to cash a check that appeared to be fake. The employee took the check to the assistant manager, who called police. The employee said the same people had cashed "bad" checks at the store before.

When police arrived, the people ran away from the store. Police arrested Kendra Danielle Montford, 18, of the 400 block of Wilcox Place in Augusta, as she was getting into a minivan at the nearby Sonic restaurant. The man she was with ran across Furys Ferry Road. A Bi-Lo employee said the second man was at the Circle K across the street. Tony Oneal Weekley, of the 3200 block of Robin Road in Decatur, Ga., was returned to the store and positively identified by the Bi-Lo employee and arrested.

Kenneth Rashad King, 19, of the 700 block of Castle Rock Way in Lawrenceville, Ga., was found a short time later near the Bi-Lo. All three were charged with forgery. Montford and Weekley were being held in the Columbia County Detention Center on a $5,100 bond, according to jail records. King was being held without bond because of a probation violation.

Four arrested

for shoplifting

Four adults and a juvenile were arrested early Tuesday after they attempted to steal more than $2,400 worth of merchandise from the Grovetown Walmart.

Three Augusta women -- Jquanda Janee Johnson, 27, of Clark Street; Sidonia Vernelle Farrell, 20, of Drayton Drive; and Siobhan Marie Newsome, 25, of Third Avenue -- and a man, Neon Kian Lampley, 31, of Chicago, were charged with theft by shoplifting. The teen was charged with shoplifting and for being an unruly juvenile and was transported to the Regional Youth Detention Center.

An employee of the store at 5010 Steiner Way called police when he saw the group load more than $2,400 worth of items, including clothing, electronics and household goods, into shopping carts and leave the store. Witnesses said Johnson distracted store personnel while the others left with the merchandise.

The employee saw the group load most of the merchandise into a minivan and drive away, leaving Johnson behind.

A deputy pulled over the minivan on Columbia Road and recovered the stolen items. Johnson was arrested after police found her walking along Horizon South Parkway near Interstate 20. All were positively identified by witnesses.

Farrell also was charged with driving without proof of insurance and with an expired tag and license.

All of the adults arrested are being held in the Columbia County Detention Center with a bond except Johnson, who is being held without bond because of an outstanding Richmond County warrant.