The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office reported the following incidents:
SHOPLIFTING SUSPECT: On Dec. 17, Deputy Chris Haag was dispatched to Walmart after a loss prevention officer caught a 28-year-old Athens man using the price code on a small item to scan merchandise at a lower price. Some of the items were not even scanned. The deputy placed in handcuffs for a ride to jail.
MAN ARRESTED: On Dec. 20, Deputy Dylan Pulliam was on routine patrol at about 2:10 a.m. on Georgia Highway 316 when he checked the tag on a BMW and it showed the driver was wanted on a warrant from Winder. The 23-year-old man had a 15-year-old girl in his car, who smelled of alcohol. She explained she went to a party at the man’s home in Athens and he was taking her home. When the man overheard their conversation, he told the officer, “She told me she was 18.” The deputy contacted Athens-Clarke police about the matter and Sgt. Nathaniel Franco arrived. After an investigation on scene, the Athens officer took the man to jail in Clarke County, where he was booked for child molestation.
DUI SUSPECT: On Dec. 20, Deputy Annessa Glenn was on patrol shortly before 10 p.m. when she observed a vehicle crossing the center line. She made a traffic stop and smelled marijuana in the car. She asked the 32-year-old Bogart man to step out and he replied, “I’d rather not.” The officer called for backup, which shortly arrived, and the driver did exit. He was charged with DUI, possession of 31.3 grams of marijuana and possessing a firearm during a felony. A .22-caliber rifle and an unloaded 9mm pistol were found in the car.
Fatal Crash: Wife of deputy killed in two-vehicle collision in Jackson County
SHOPLIFTER RUNS: On Dec. 21, Deputy William Lewis was sitting in his patrol unit at Walmart when he observed the store’s loss prevention officer running. The security officer looked frantic as he pointed and ran past the deputy, who observed that he was in pursuit of a woman. The deputy joined the chase that wove through parked cars. When she finally came to a stop, she told the officer she had to pee. The woman, who had called her husband while running, was ordered back to the store. On the store video, the deputy observed the woman scanning items, but she failed to scan a Monopoly game, a bra, Scotch tape and fabric softener. The 49-year-old Snellville woman was taken to jail.
ANGRY DRIVER: On Dec. 25, a 46-year-old McDonough woman reported she was traveling in the left lane of Georgia Highway 316 when a Dodge Ram began tailgating her. She reported the Ram moved into the right lane and the driver threw something that hit her car. The pickup then accelerated as it left at a high rate of speed.
RECKLESS DRIVING: On Dec. 30, Deputy Chris Shook was dispatched to Kings Mill Run in a subdivision off U.S. Highway 441 North. A resident reported hearing a car “burning rubber” on the street. The deputy arrived and saw a red Chevrolet Camaro with two occupants. He also smelled burnt rubber and black marks on the road that were about 100 yards long. The 21-year-old Winder man was charged with reckless driving. On the way to jail, he told the officer that the Camaro has been nothing but trouble since he purchased it.
WRECK: On Dec. 22, Cpl. Lex Ogan was dispatched to a wreck on Hog Mountain Road near Goat Farm Road. A motorist reported he was traveling on the roadway about 6:30 a.m. when he saw a large amount of debris in the road and a Mini Cooper crashed into a fence. A 16-year-old driver at the scene told the motorist he had been asleep and didn’t know what happened. The deputy observed where the car hit a fence and a post had pierced the windshield and was pinned into the passenger seat. The teen initially denied drinking, but then apologized and said he wanted his parents. After an ambulance arrived, the teen became outwardly emotional. He then admitted going to Athens where he and two other males began drinking. The officer found in the car some Twisted Tea, tequila and marijuana. The teen was charged with DUI and failing to maintain a lane.
BURGLARY REPORTED: On Dec. 13, Deputy William Lewis responded to a report of a burglary on Marshall-Wilkes Road, where numerous items were reported stolen including $3,000 cash, fishing tackle and lures.
HIT AND RUN: On Dec. 30, Deputy Annessa Glenn responded to a hit and run, where a woman called 911 to report her vehicle was hit by another car and the offender was leaving. She was following the car and providing directions to dispatch. The offender pulled into the Kroger parking lot off Epps Bridge Parkway, where the deputy confronted the 44-year-old Norcross woman. She denied being involved in a crash, but the deputy explained the other driver had a dash camera that provided evidence of the wreck. The woman, who had blood shot eyes and spoke slowly, was given roadside sobriety tests. Cans of Mike’s Hard Lemonade were found in the car. She was charged with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Oconee Blotter: Fence post nearly hits teen driver in violent crash