Crime Report: Elderly Woman Falls Victim to Telephone Fraud

 On Dec. 15, A Bogart woman reported having been contacted by someone claiming to be with Medicare and asking for her information.  Believing the caller was truthful, the woman disclosed her Medicare number --which is the same as her social security number-- and address.

The caller asked the victim how she was feeling and offered to send her a machine to help with her back problems.  After hanging up, the victim called to verify the conversation with Medicare. She was told no one had contacted her and that similar fraud had been occurring. 

When the victim tried to callthe person back who had contacted her, the woman heard an error message.  It is believed the phone number was disconnected or is only used for outgoing calls.

Here is a summary of other reports filed Dec. 12-18:

Loud Booms: Residents of Castle Drive were alarmed by what sounded like gunshots and "loud booms" around 3:45 a.m. on Dec. 17, one resident reported.  The man later found plastic bottles containing scorched tin foil in his yard.  No property was damaged.

Possible Child Abuse: On Dec. 17, a juvenile told deputies his mother had hit him with a wooden "dowel" while he was staying with her in Cottondale, Alabama on Dec. 10.  He showed cell phone pictures of a welt on his lower right side of his back. Deputies notified authorities in Alabama about the possible abuse.

Warrant Arrest: On Dec. 16 about 10 p.m., deputies were dispatched to the scene of an argument between two women at Old Farmington Road near Kelley Lane.  The fight report was unfounded, but one of the women had an active warrant in her name for failure to appear in Walton County.  She was taken into custody and transported to the Walton County line on Highway 186 where deputies were waiting.

Agency Assist: Oconee County deputies deployed stop sticks on Flat Road Road around 7 a.m. on Dec. 16 to help Greene County authorities stop the driver of a vehicle who refused to pull over for a traffic stop for failure to maintain lane. The vehicle, traveling at 65-70 mph, passed over the stop sticks and came to a stop about one mile later when the two front tires went flat.  The driver-- an elderly woman-- said she had been looking for a safe place to pull over.  A Greene County deputy said the woman had numerous opportunities to stop safely along the 12-mile path. Greene County authorities are handling the case.

Attempted Burglary: On Dec. 16 around 6:30 p.m., a resident of an 1800 block Julian Drive residence reported seeing an individual running from his yard.  His barking dogs had alerted him.  Deputies found no sign of entry.

Metal Theft: An air conditioning unit, valued at $2,700, was taken from a foreclosed property in the 1300 block of Sims Road sometime between Dec. 9 and Dec. 16.  The unit had been unbolted from a small cement pad and power and cooling lines had been cut.  An AC unit was stolen once before from the same location, deputies were told.

Shoplifting: An Oconee County woman faces a felony charge of shoplifting for reportedly trying to take items from Kohl's.  The incident occurred on Dec. 16 about 7 p.m. 

Surveillance footage caught two women leaving the store; one pushed and held the first door open and the second-- referred to by authorities as "the helper"-- pushed a cart full of merchandise out of the store, avoiding the cash register.

When a loss prevention officer approached the women, they ran towards Pinewood Estates South mobile home park, according to reports. Neither was located during a search of the area. 

Deputies found a vehicle full of clothing with store tags and impounded it while a search warrant was being issued. 

turned herself in later that evening and was charged with felony shoplifting.

Burglary: A Nintendo Wii and video games were taken from a 1600 block residence of Julian Drive between 6:20-7:40 p.m. on Dec. 15.  The back door was found open. A laptop was also taken from the living room. Footprints along an ATV trail led to a creek. Further investigation led deputies to a Stone Henge subdivision residence.

Burglary: On Dec. 15, a resident of a 1500 block address of Tanglebrook Drive just before 10 a.m.  The man was in her basement.  Deputies searched the area, arrested an individual matching the man's description, and were holding him on a probation violation warrant.  The investigation continues.

Burglary: A laptop, cash, and GSP unit (from a vehicle), collectively worth about $765, were taken from a 1500 block residence of Tanglebrook Drive sometime between 11 p.m. on Dec. 13 and 11 a.m. on Dec. 14. Deputies found a rear window open.

Shoplifting: Deputies were dispatched to on Dec. 14 around 9:15 p.m. where two shoplifting suspects had fled on foot.  One juvenile found at the scene was escorted to his home after an investigation revealed he did not take any items.  A second suspect, found at the residence,, admitted to taking a white shirt, a black shirt, and a pair of jeans, collectively valued at $126.  He told deputies he threw the clothing into the bushes on Epps Bridge Parkway across from the store.  The white shirt was recovered.

Medical Assist: A home care nurse went to a Burson Avenue residence to check on a patient on Dec. 14 about 11 a.m. The patient ha fallen the night before and told her company about the fall but didn't want to report it to 911 or go to the hospital.  Deputies had to force open the front door when the patient did not answer.  She was found on the floor in need of medical attention and transported to Athens Regional Medical Center.

Missing Person: Family of Michael Edward Blalock reported him missing on Dec. 14.  Family members told deputies they had no contact with Blalock since he was released from jail on Nov. 22 and they were concerned.  His name was entered into the GCIC.

Shoplifting: A woman attempted to leave without paying for $193.67 worth of merchandise on Dec. 14 around 7:30 p.m.  She was arrested on a charge of misdemeanor shoplifting.

Broken Car Window: An employee of found the driver's side rear window of her vehicle had been broken out.  The incident happened on Dec. 13 in the parking lot sometime between 4- 9:30 p.m. Nothing was missing and the car doors were still locked.

Theft by Deception: An Oconee County man told deputies his ex-roommate illegally signed her name on the title of his truck, has been driving it since May and refuses to give it back.  They had lived together at a Malcom Bridge Road residence. The man reported the incident on Dec. 13 and said he has been working with an attorney to file a civil suit.

Simple Battery: A dispute on Dec. 12 landed an Oconee County woman in jail.  A mother allegedly struck her adult daughter in the face during an argument at an Old Cord Mill residence. She was charged with simple battery, a misdemeanor.

Enter Auto: Two unlocked vehicles parked at a 1000 block Etowah Court residence were entered between 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 12 and 6:30 a.m. on Dec. 13. A GPS unit and CDs were taken from a Chevy Trailblazer and a canceled credit card was removed from another Chevy S10 Blazer. Other vehicles parked in the driveway were locked and left undisturbed. Someone attempted to use the stolen credit card at Wal-Mart later that morning, but it was declined.

Burglary: A woman came home to her 2300 block Astondale Road residence and found her bedroom had been ransacked. The burglary occurred on Dec. 12, sometime between 11:15 a.m. and 3 p.m. Deputies found no signs of forced entry; a rear door had been left unlocked.  Assorted jewelry valued at $5-$100 apiece were taken from the bedroom.

Burglary: Two metal storage boxes containing documents were taken from a 2300 block Union Church Road residence on Dec. 12 between 6:50 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The boxes had been stored under a bed. A resident of the home found a back door wide open, but deputies found evidence that the front door had been cracked, as if someone first attempted to enter through it.  Two outside security cameras were also taken. 

Theft of Dirt Bike: A 1970s Two-stroke Yamaha dirt bike was stolen from a shed behind an Old Salem Road residence overnight Dec. 11 to Dec. 12. The bike, valued at $600, has orange fenders and a gray gas tank and is said to be in good condition.  Two weeks prior to the theft, the resident heard noises in the shed and believes the thief tried to take it at that time but was unsuccessful.