Police blotter
Produce company owner charged with theft by receiving
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An Evans resident and produce company owner was arrested Wednesday and charged with having stolen vehicles and other items at an Augusta property he owns.
Leo's Produce owner Leo Charette Jr., 45, of the 4100 block of Rivermont Drive, was charged with four counts of theft by receiving stolen property, said Richmond County sheriff's Investigator Scot Herring. Charette was booked into the Augusta-Richmond County Law Enforcement Center and later released on bond.
Herring said the sheriff's office was assisting Jefferson County authorities Tuesday in a search of an Augusta warehouse to locate a stolen golf car. Inside the warehouse at 1551 Fifth Street police found several stolen items. The warehouse is owned by Charette.
The items confirmed stolen include a truck from Millen, Ga.; a motorcycle from Tempe, Ariz.; and a trailer, a personal water craft, a golf car and a four-wheeler from Hephzibah, Herring said.
The Columbia County school system is a client of Leo's Produce. Superintendent Charles Nagle said he spoke with Leo's Produce executives Wednesday and was assured that deliveries won't be affected.
The following accounts were taken from reports from The Columbia County Sheriff's Office. Additional reports are available at www.columbiacountyso.org:
Special needs pupil assaults teacher
A Greenbrier Middle School special needs teacher told police Wednesday that one of her pupils attacked her.
The 60-year-old woman said that the male pupil grabbed her by the hair with his right hand and dragged her across the classroom while hitting her on the head and body with his left hand. During the attack, the pupil kicked the teacher's legs, causing the two of them to fall to the floor. She was then able to get away from the pupil and call for help.
Another teacher heard her screams and came into the classroom to assist.
Police said the teacher acted in a controlled manner and prevented the pupil from being injured in the incident. The teacher had scratches on her ear and arm and police found hair on the floor in several places in the classroom. Authorities said the injuries appeared to be defensive.
The teacher chose not to prosecute.
Mailbox damaged, gang message left
An Evans man told police Wednesday that someone vandalized his mailbox and left a gang-related message.
The man said that about 7:45 a.m. he discovered his Gardenia Drive mailbox covered with mustard and ketchup. He also found a broken egg inside the mailbox.
Ketchup was also used to write the gang-related message on the driveway.
Teen tries to steal 'enhancement' pills
A Martinez teen was arrested Wednesday after he was caught trying to steal male enhancement pills by hiding them in his pants, authorities said.
Jessie William Hicks, 19, of Sioux Drive, was charged with theft by shoplifting. He was being held in the Columbia County Detention Center on Thursday on a $1,600 bond, according to jail records.
An employee of Walmart at 260 Bobby Jones Expressway in Martinez told police that he saw Hicks select boxes of Extenze male enhancement pills from a health and beauty section shelf.
The employee said Hicks put the two 15-pill packs in his pants and tried to leave the store.
Hicks was stopped and taken to the store office, where he admitted to his mother that he tried to take the pills, worth $43.94.
Coffee club delivery ignites fraud worry
A Grovetown woman said a recent coffee club delivery caused her to suspect that her credit card was used without permission.
The 41-year-old woman said she received a complimentary delivery of coffee from the Gevalia Coffee Club on Tuesday.
After checking her account, the woman said, she found that someone used her Visa card to purchase an Xbox game online, worth $80, and a $28 coffee club membership. A Gevalia Coffee Co. representative gave the woman the phone number used to purchase the membership.