Crime & Safety

Crime Report: Woman Catches Burglar in the Act and Shoplifting on Black Friday

The following information was gathered from Oconee County Sheriff's Office reports and highlights incidents reported Nov. 21- Nov. 27.

Woman Catches Burglar in the Act: As she was pulling into her driveway, a resident of the 1300 block of White Oak Drive saw a man at her front door attempting to break inside.  It happened around 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 26.  The woman described the suspect as a 6' tall male, slim to medium build, race unknown, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt with white letters on the back and dark jeans.  She told deputies the man ran into the backyard and likely into the woods.  A search of the area was conducted but the suspect wasn't located.  Nothing had been taken and no entry had been made.

Shoplifting: Deputies after the manager of Department Store said the woman left the store without paying for $497 worth of merchandise on Black Friday.

Burglary: A resident of N. Burson Avenue reported his home was burglarized sometime between 6 p.m. on Nov. 22 and 2 a.m. Nov. 25. No other details were listed in the incident report.

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Disturbance: While driving by a 5700 block residence on Hog Mountain Road Nov. 26 around 2 a.m., a deputy heard a gunshot and saw a small group of people rush into a garage and turn off the lights.  When questioned, a man told deputies another man had shot at a coyote on the property.  The shooter, however, fled the scene before deputies could speak to him.  The man returned to the scene after being telephoned and was issued an ordinance violation for hindering or obstructing officers and is scheduled to appear in probate court in January.

Property Damage/DUI Arrest: Around 9 p.m. on Nov. 21, deputies responded to a call that a gray truck had struck a mailbox in the 2200 block of Malcom Bridge Road and the driver had left the scene.  Deputies pulled over a vehicle matching that description.  The driver was on the phone and deputies overheard him say to someone on the other line that he would need to be picked up from jail.  According to the incident report, the man told deputies he had consumed eight beers beginning at 6 p.m. and there was no need to do sobriety tests; he was drunk. An open beer can was found inside the truck and the passenger's seat was wet and smelled of beer.  _.

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Damaged Mailbox: An employee of reported the restaurant's mailbox on the corner of Park Drive had been run over.  Deputies noticed the mailbox at had also been damaged.

Burglary: A vacant rental property and unattached storage unit in the 3900 block of Greensboro Highway were burglarized sometime between 4 p.m. on Nov. 22 and 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 23.  Wrenches, four aluminum wheels, and a pair of ladies snakeskin boots, collectively valued at $445, were taken.  Deputies found signs of forced entry.  They photographed the scene and it was processed for fingerprints.

Bike Theft: On Nov. 26, a resident of N.Burson Avenue reported the theft of a red Mongoose bike from behind the residence.  The theft occurred sometime during the last two weeks.

Copper theft: Sometime between midnight and 3 p.m. on Nov. 26 a thief took a copper walkway light --valued at $200-- from outside a Northwoods Road residence.  It appeared the thief attempted to steal a second light but was unable to pull it from the ground.

Loud, Explosive Sounds: A resident of Castle Drive thought he heard a round of gunshots around 11 p.m. on Nov. 22.  However, the following day, the man's son found burnt plastic bottles containing tin foil and scorch marks, which are believed to be the source of the loud noises.  No property was damaged.

Child Molestation: A mother reported on Nov. 27 that her daughter had said she was the victim of child molestation.  The Criminal Investigations Division and DFACS were notified and investigators interviewed the girl at the Sheriff's Office.

Burglary: The victim of a burglary told authorities someone known to him entered his home in the 1000 block of Lakeside Court and took unspecified items sometime between Nov. 21 and 7:30 p.m on Nov. 23.

Affray: Deputies were dispatched to Pinewood Estates South mobile home park where a fight had already occurred.  They found two Hispanic males, each with lacerations on their heads.  The two men were separated.

Simple Assault: A man was issued a notice of prohibited entry at on Nov. 22. Shortly after, a 45-year-old female employee arrived to work with a bloody nose and one shoe missing. The woman told deputies she had been injured falling down a hill and gave authorities a false name when asked about her boyfriend.  Deputies noted they suspect the boyfriend was actually the man thrown out of the store earlier that evening.

Traffic Stop/ Warrant Arrest: Deputies stopped a driver on US Highway 441 northbound on Nov. 21 for littering.  After checking the man's identification, they say there was a contempt of court warrant in his name in Clarke County for a public urination citation.  The man said he had already paid fines associated with the citation but, because of the active warrant, he was turned over to Clarke County Sheriff's deputies.


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