Wayne Ford, Athens Banner-Herald
·5 min read
The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office reported the following incidents:
TWO BEERS: On May 30, Deputy Boris Argueta was patrolling shortly after midnight along U.S. Highway 441 in Bishop when he observed a 2024 BMW crossing the centerline and weaving in the roadway. After a traffic stop, the 42-year-old man from Bainbridge in south Georgia began speaking in slurred speech that was sometimes unintelligible. The officer smelled alcohol and the man replied he had two drinks, but “I’m not drunk.” The man argued about doing sobriety tests saying he was safe to drive and that he would stay between the lines. The man was charged with DUI. The deputy also found an open beer bottle in the door panel.
SIGN GOES MISSING: On May 29, Deputy Seth McCart was dispatched to a construction area along Hog Mountain Road, where someone stole a 3-foot wide metal sign valued at $300. The orange-colored sign is marked with the words “Utility Work Ahead” and belongs to a firm in Forsyth.
TOOLS STOLEN: On May 30, Deputy Matthew Lariscy met with a resident of Sweetwater Circle, who reported that someone entered his Nissan Titan between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. and stole $1,800 worth of tools that belonged to a co-worker.
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DUI CHARGED: On May 31, Deputy Doug Mattocks was dispatched to a disturbance on Price Mill Road, Bishop. The deputy encountered a man at the front of the house and in slurred language the fellow explained he was in an argument and during this time he accidentally knocked over a computer monitor. A woman in the house said he threw the monitor. The deputy learned the man had been driving in his current condition. The 45-year-old man was charged with trespassing and DUI.
RECKLESS DRIVING: On May 31, Capt. Mark Smith was in his personal vehicle driving near Taco Bell off the Oconee Connector, when he observed a Chevrolet Silverado speed away from the restaurant, then run a stop sign near Best Buy. The pickup drove close to pedestrians and the driver and passenger were giving the finger to the pedestrians. Deputy Doug Mattocks responded and he made a traffic stop. The driver was placed in custody. The 17-year-old Winder resident was charged with reckless driving and not having insurance on the truck. He was allowed to call his parents. The 17-year-old passenger from Winterville also called his mother to pick him up.
MONEY TRANSPORT: On June 1, Deputy C. Shook was coming out of Lane Creek subdivision about 1 p.m. when he heard the sound of a loud motorcycle. He watched the motorcycle travel on Cole Springs Road, then turn onto Jefferson Road. The motorcycle was speeding at 60 mph in a 45-mph zone. A traffic stop was made, and the 21-year-old Good Hope man indicated he did not speak English. He was placed in handcuffs and the officer found $15 in one pocket, $500 in another pocket, and $14,500 cash in his jacket pocket. The officer called for his supervisor and it was learned the money belonged to the man’s uncle who had withdrawn the money to pay his workers. The uncle came to the scene and got his money, while the motorist was taken to jail.
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WOMAN ARRESTED: On June 1, Cpl. Pat Holl responded to a report of a woman in car parked along Green Ferry Road. When he arrived, Watkinsville police officer Rachel Stearns was already there and she reported that it appeared the driver was intoxicated. The 43-year-old Watkinsville woman smelled of alcohol, but she refused any sobriety tests. She was charged with DUI. The woman had a cat in the car. Holl placed the cat into a carrier and called animal control to take possession while he transported the cat’s owner to jail.
SUSPECT SOUGHT: On June 1, Cpl. Pat Holl was dispatched to a home on Green Ferry Road, to investigate an incident that began at Zaxby’s on Experiment Station Road. A woman and her two children were in the restaurant when a 41-year-old man she knew entered and began screaming and cussing at her. Restaurant staff escorted the disorderly man outside and a female customer in the restaurant offered to the take the woman and her children home. She accepted, but after they left the man followed them in his car and twice he pulled in front of their car and slammed on the brakes. The woman arrived at the location, but she was upset, and her car was damaged when she missed the driveway and went into a ditch. Deputies plan to view the video footage from the restaurant.
BURGLARY PROBED: On June 3, Deputy Joshua Warren was dispatched to a home on Manor Ridge Drive, Bishop, after a woman arrived home at about 2:15 p.m. and discovered someone had been inside the house. She had entered the house, but upon seeing items strewn on the kitchen floor and cabinets open she went outside and called 911. The deputy found no one inside and no sign of a forced entry. Investigators Sgt. Justin Cash and Dustin Mines arrived to investigate.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Oconee Blotter: Motorcyclist found with $14,500 payroll money
