Crime Report: Copper Stolen, Car Windows Shattered, And a Stray Bullet Strikes Business

Pistol Taken: While it was parked at the Golden Pantry on S. Macon Highway, a man said someone entered his vehicle and removed a black and brown Derringer 9m pistol from the glove box sometime between 8 and 9 a.m. on March 26.

Identity Theft: An Oconee County woman told deputies she lost her wallet while visiting the new movie theatre in Barrow County on March 25. The following day, her bank notified her someone attempted to get a cash advance using her credit card and also spent about $350 at a video game store in Athens.

Bulldog Statue Snatched:  A woman was gardening around 6 p.m. on March 26 at her McNutt Crossing home when she noticed a ceramic red and black UGA bulldog was missing along with an iron tractor chain attached to it.  The theft is believed to have occurred sometime between March 17 and 26.

Flaming Bag: A resident of Regency Walk reported that on March 26 around 10:45 p.m., he was watching television when he noticed a flame outside his door.  A paper bag containing excrement had been set on fire. 

Theft of iPod: A black 8G iPod was reported stolen from a classroom on the morning of March 27. The iPod is valued at $327.

Shoplifting: security officers reported a woman attempted to steal a set of bed sheets on March 27.  The sheets were recovered and the woman left in a white Chevy cavalier, driven by a male, before the deputy arrived.  The car tag returned the registration to someone with an Elberton address.

Rings Misplaced: A woman told deputies she used a tanning bed at 24 Hour Tan Salon on Mars Hill Road on March 20 and left two rings on a table.  The following day when she realized the mistake, she contacted the salon and was told no one had turned in any rings.  On March 27, the woman requested a report be filed in case someone attempts to pawn the rings.

Aggravated Stalking: A Watkinsville woman told deputies on March 27 that she had been contacted multiple times by her ex-husband via text messages though there is Temporary Protective Order in place prohibiting contact. 

Child Molestation: On March 26, Athens-Clarke County Police contacted the Oconee County Sheriff's Office to report a possible case of child molestation that had allegedly occurred in Oconee.  The case was turned over to investigators.

Identity Theft: After having received a bill from a debt collector, a man reported a case of stolen identity to the Sheriff's Office.  The victim said the letter, which indicated he owed $640 for an unpaid medical bill, had his name and social security number on it, but the birth date was incorrect. 

Robbery: A man told deputies on March 27 that he was walking along Hardigree Bell Road around 7 p.m. when a vehicle pulled up next to him and three men got out, beat him and stole money from his pockets. A search of the area was conducted, but no suspects were located.

Theft: A woman told deputies on March 28 that an acquaintance had been inside her Fair Hill Drive residence the day before and, once that person left, she noticed about $35 worth of change had been taken from a jar in the kitchen and items had been removed from her jewelry box and dresser drawers. 

Shoplifting: Two men were caught shoplifting on March 28. A loss prevention officer at Walmart told deputies he witnessed them remove condoms from a box and place them in their pockets.  The men then reportedly tried to leave the store without paying for them.  The loss prevention officer said the dollar amount for the value of the items was under what the store typically prosecutes, but wanted a report filed in case the store would pursue warrants at a later date.  The men were released.

Burglary: The owner of a Westwood Avenue residence reported someone burglarized his home sometime between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on March 29.  He said when he arrived home, he saw two Hispanic men walking from a neighbor's house to a parked car on the road that was blocking his driveway. The complainant said the men told him they had been visiting women, but he told deputies he knew there were no women at that house. The men then got into the car and left.

When the complainant entered his home, he saw his house had been rummaged through and several items of value had been stacked in his living room for easy removal. A laptop was missing.

Gunshots Fired: A deputy was dispatched to around 6:40 p.m. on March 29 to investigate reports of gunshots.  An employee told the deputy she had heard a gunshot and, moments later, a loud bang on the side of the building.  A bullet was found on the ground about 15 feet from the rear shop area.  There was no damage found.

Additional gunshots were heard from a direction south of the business and the deputy drove to the first house on the right in the 1800 block of Greensboro Highway.  In the backyard a man and several of his friends admitted to having shot a 380. caliber handgun at a target.  The man said he thought the 7-foot tall dirt wall, metal trash containers, and fencing would have stopped all rounds of bullets.  When the man learned one of the bullets hit the nearby business' building, he told the deputy he would no longer shoot in any direction while on the property. 

Car Window Shattered: On March 30, a deputy responded to a Flat Rock Road residence where a rear window of a vehicle had been shattered.  The incident is believed to have occurred sometime between 11 p.m. on March 29 and 8:50 a.m. on March 30. Nothing appeared to be missing but the victim believes it will cost about $550 to replace.

Unfounded Robbery Report: On March 31, a man told deputies that three men pulled up to a 2300-block Atlanta Highway residence in a green Ford Escort, jumped him and took his medication.  Deputies report the man was sitting on the steps with no visible injuries.  A woman at first said she witnessed the attack and later said she only saw a vehicle leave the scene.  Following an investigation, there was no proof of an attack or robbery, according to the deputy's report.  The man was transported to a local hospital for an evaluation.

Stalking: A resident of Talus Street reported having seen a man in the back of her home in the undeveloped area of the subdivision, staring at her house on March 31 about 8 a.m. The complainant said she's seen the man at other locations around the county and doesn't believe he lives in the neighborhood.  He is described as a white male, between the age of 40 and 50, about 6'0" tall, 250 pounds with sandy brown hair.  The area was checked and no one matching that description was located. The investigation continues.

Copper Stolen: Copper components from four air conditioning units were taken from the building that formerly housed the Arbor Express convenience store on Macon Highway.  The theft was reported on March 31, and is believed to have occurred sometime during the last month.  The damage is estimated at $2,000 per unit. The case is under investigation.

Car Windows Shattered: A man reported the back window of the driver's side door of his truck was shattered sometime between 4:30 a.m. and 8:40 a.m. on April 1 while parked at a residence on Blackstone Way.  At first the victim said nothing appeared to be missing, but later called to report the theft of a $3,000 work laptop that had been left on the floor of the backseat.

While taking the report, the deputy noticed the backseat driver's side window of a vehicle parked at a neighbor's residence had also been shattered.  When contacted, the owner said nothing appeared to be missing.

Tires Slashed: A resident of a 1000-block residence of Kings Road reported someone slashed all four new tires on her vehicle sometime between 3 p.m. on March 31 and around 12 p.m. on April 1. It had been parked in the front yard on the grass. The tires are valued at $300.

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