Oconee Blotter: Shoplifting suspects run, give excuses, bring children
The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office reported the following incidents:
SHOPLIFTERS CAUGHT: On Dec. 8, Deputy Josh Warren was dispatched to Walmart where a loss prevention officer caught two Elberton women skip-scanning numerous items valued at $653. The 29-year-old woman was transported to jail, while the 28-year-old woman was allowed to leave due to having a small child. She also faces a shoplifting charge.
KEYSTONE DRINKER: On Dec. 8, Deputy Boris Argueta was patrolling on U.S. Highway 78 at Hog Mountain Road where he ran a check on a red Dodge van and discovered the insurance was invalid. The deputy noted the van failed to maintain its lane. After a traffic stop, the 60-year-old Athens man apologized about the insurance, but the officer also smelled alcohol on him. An open Keystone Light beer was seen under the driver’s seat. The man was unable to blow correctly into a device for an alcohol reading explaining he only has one lung capacity. Although he insisted he was not intoxicated, after an investigation, he was charged with DUI.
SUSPECT NABBED: On Dec. 9, Deputy Boris Argueta drove to the Racetrac on U.S. Highway 78, Bogart, for a security check about 4 a.m. He located a vehicle parked in an unlit area and upon shining a light on the car, a woman stepped out and told the officer she was headed to Florida. She explained she had stopped here to claim money on a lottery ticket so she could purchase gas. The 52-year-old Gainesville woman’s boyfriend was asleep in the car. Once he was awakened, the deputy discovered the 58-year-old Clayton man was wanted on an arrest warrant from Rabun County. He was taken to jail.
SHOPLIFTER FLEES: On Dec. 9, Deputy Dylan Pulliam responded shortly before 4 p.m. to Home Depot, where a man leaving the store without paying for merchandise was confronted. At that point, he ran to a Ford F-150 pickup and climbed into the passenger side. The pickup left but the deputy located it on Highway 316 and made a traffic stop. A 56-year-old man was then taken to jail on a shoplifting charge.
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SHOPLIFTER SOUGHT: On Dec. 9, Deputy Seth McCart was dispatched to Palmetto Moon at the Oconee Connector, where a female shoplifter stole more than $300 worth of clothing including a Stanley cup, Patagonia hat and a Bronco Roper hat. She took the items first into a fitting room, where she removed the security sensors. The same woman is being investigated for other thefts at the store.
RECKLESS DRIVER: On Dec. 9, Deputy Dylan Pulliam was patrolling at the Oconee Connection when he observed a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado driving by Best Buy. The driver suddenly “floored” the truck causing it to fishtail in the parking lot. There were numerous people and other vehicles in the parking lot, so the officer made a traffic stop. The 24-year-old Bogart man was taken to jail on a reckless driving charge.
SHOPLIFTER CAUGHT: On Dec. 9, Deputy Dylan Pulliam was dispatched to Walmart, where an Athens man and woman were caught skip-scanning $320 worth of merchandise. They were taken to jail, but another family member was called to come and take custody of their 2-year-old child.
FELONY SHOPLIFTING: On Dec. 9, Sgt. Sonyia Wallace-Burchett was working security at Walmart, when she and a loss prevention officer observed a woman skip-scanning numerous items valued at more than $900. She paid for about $200 worth of items. Once confronted, the woman explained she heard a lot of beeping and thought she was scanning the items. However, the video shows her not even attempting to scan numerous items. She then claimed she brought some of the merchandise into the store for a return. However, a video shows her enter the store without any merchandise. The 57-year-old Hull woman was taken to jail on a felony shoplifting charge.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Oconee Blotter: Shoplifting suspects run, give excuses, bring children
