Oconee Blotter: New Yorker sends Watkinsville woman wrong kitten
The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office reported the following incidents:
PANTS FULL: On July 6, Deputy Annessa Glenn and a Walmart loss prevention officer watched on camera as a 39-year-old Athens man stuffed a pair of socks into his pants. He then got a shirt and some shorts and stuffed them into his pants. Then he collected another pair of socks. He purchased a soft drink and was stopped as he left the store. The deputy learned he was wanted in Athens for theft. The man said he recently took some fentanyl.
BANK FRAUD: On July 6, a 71-year-old Watkinsville woman reported that someone had been removing money from her bank account, so she cancelled the card and got a new debit card. Yet money was still withdrawn by someone. She then closed the account and received a new account, yet someone continued making automatic withdrawals. She lost $3,476. She then closed the account and went to a new bank to open an account.
KITTEN FRAUD: On July 6, Deputy Steven Heckler spoke with a 56-year-old Watkinsville woman, who paid $1,287 for a Turkish Angora cat. She also paid $375 to have the kitten shipped from New York to her home. However, when the kitten arrived it did not look like the breed she had ordered. The veterinary papers also appeared fraudulent. The woman explained she has opted to keep the kitten rather than seek a refund.
TANK TOP: On July 17, Deputy Dylan Pulliam was on routine patrol shortly before 2 a.m. on Highway 316 when he observed a man with a flashlight walking in the road. The man wore nothing but a red tank top. The deputy stopped and asked the man why he was walking in the highway without pants. The man explained he was looking for his pants. The 70-year-old Athens man was arrested on charges of public indecency and pedestrian in the roadway.
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GIFT CARDS: On July 13, Deputy Collin Worsham spoke with a 67-year-old Watkinsville woman, who explained she called a number to correct issues she was having with her iPhone. The contact, who had a foreign accent, told her to purchase gift cards and he would fix her phone. He also said he would return the money. The woman, over a couple of days, purchased $2,499 worth of gift cards and provided him with the activation numbers. During the purchases, the man would remain on the phone line, but tell her not to let anyone hear them talking. She finally realized she had been scammed.
WINE COOLER: On July 7, Deputy Dustin Mine responded to a car crash in the parking lot of Walmart. A man explained he was his car while his wife was putting their child in a car seat. A nearby car began backing up and hit his car. The offender then tried to leave. The deputy observed a 2003 Toyota Avalon with a New Jersey tag that was driven by a man who smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot and glassy eyes, and slurred speech. The man confessed to having one beer and “a strong wine cooler thing.” The deputy found an empty Four Loko can in the car. The 32-year-old Greenville, Alabama, man was charged with DUI and possession of cocaine after a bag was also found in the car.
DISRUPTIVE MAN: On July 9, Deputy Christopher Haag was dispatched to Dunkin Donuts on Hog Mountain Road, where a man who delivers food arrived and became upset because he had to wait on the food to get prepared. The man was verbally disruptive and only left when he learned the manager called 911. The same man had previously been in the store in June and also began yelling and cussing at employees because an order was not ready. The man was told he was not welcome at the business.
FRAUD: On July 12, Cpl. Kenji Dorsey along with five other officers including Sheriff James Hale responded to a pharmacy on Capital Avenue where a man entered to pick up a prescription, which authorities knew was fake. The suspect told the officer he was getting the prescriptions for a friend he knew only as John. The suspect, a 28-year-old McDonough man, said he drove here from Henry County because his girlfriend lives here. A Winder woman in the man’s car denied she was his girlfriend, but later changed her mind about their relationship. The prescription was supposedly called in by a doctor in Los Angeles, Calif., but when that doctor was contacted, he explained that several other fake prescriptions had been called to pharmacies in Georgia by fraudulently using his name. The fake prescription was for Albuterol sulfate and codeine. The man was charged with a felony conspiracy charge.
MOTORCYCLE CHASE: On July 12, Deputy Dustin Mines was monitoring traffic on Highway 316 about 7 p.m. when a Suzuki motorcycle passed with a suspended registration. Upon attempting a traffic stop, the motorcycle sped away. Sgt. Andrew Henderson joined the chase at Mars Hill Road. The suspect reached a speed of 120 mph as it sped to Atlanta Highway in Clarke County. Due to the traffic, the deputies called the pursuit off and notified Athens-Clarke police. An ACC officer received the name of the suspect, so he went to the suspect’s address and found the motorcycle parked in the driveway. The Athens officer reported he questioned the suspect who said he had only driven to a nearby dollar store. As they waited on Oconee deputies to arrive, the suspect broke down and confessed he fled because he was scared, but knew he was wrong for not stopping.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Oconee Blotter: Woman buys gift cards to get her iPhone fixed
