From STAFF REPORTS



CORDELE — The Crisp County Sheriff’s Department now has under investigation the theft of farm equipment valued at $10,000.

Deputy Mike Mitchell said Cordele Police Department officer Wes Spires told him on Oct. 19 that a pecan harvester and hydraulic dump wagon that he had left on property in the 300 block of Old Hatley Rd. since Jan. 20 was missing.

Spires said he discovered the theft when he went to prepare for this season’s harvest. The Wiss-McNair 8900 harvester is blue in color and the missing wagon is green.

In other recent activity, deputies:

— Received a theft-by-deception complaint from a local automobile dealership.

Employees of Southland Chrysler told Deputy Rodney Allen they sold a 2006 Jeep Wrangler to a supposedly Athens-based company and accepted a $16,000 check as payment.

When the check was returned for insufficient funds, the dealership sent a letter to the name and address on the check but it was later returned marked unclaimed.

—Filed multiple charges against Thomas Lee Daniel, 52, of 2715 U.S. 41 N., after he went to a residence on Old Penia Rd. and caused a serious disturbance last Thursday.

Deputy Melvin Jones cited Daniel for four counts of felony aggravated assault and one count each of terroristic threats and acts and interfering with a call for emergency help.

The officer said he was told Daniel had an iron pipe in his hand when he asked where his girlfriend was and then threatened the lives of the occupants when told she wasn’t there. He allegedly then tried to strike with the iron pipe a woman and her three children as well as a family dog before leaving.

— Made two arrests in connection with several thefts reported between Aug., 15 and Sept. 10.

Deputy Denise Youngblood identified those charged as Henry Edward-Mitchell Ware, 31, of 307 Seventh Ave. E., and Christopher Kyle Pate, 22, of 4180 Industrial Blvd.

The officer’s report said Ware led Sgt. Mickey Dunnavant to locations where he and Pate had stolen scrap iron and copper materials before selling it to a local salvage yard.

One of the thefts took place at a barn on the property of an Antioch Rd. address where the owner estimated his loss at just over $3,000.

— Charged Ferrell Paden Averal, 72, of a Valhalla Rd. N. address with simple assault and family violence after he allegedly threatened the life of his wife during an argument on Oct. 23.

The victim said her husband started an altercation while she was on the telephone speaking to her brother and then snatched the phone from her hand. She said she left the home briefly in her truck and upon returning encountered her husband who at that point threatened to kill her.

The victim said when she saw an eight-inch kitchen knife on top of her car in the garage she ran back to her truck and locked the doors. When Averal was unable to get into that vehicle, he reportedly tried to block her from leaving by placing a pressure washer and bicycle in front of the truck. She ran over them in escaping.

— Foiled an attempt to smuggle tobacco to a jail inmate.

Deputy Misty Eno said that while handing out mail on Oct. 20 she called the recipient of a package to the window so that she could open it in his presence.

While searching the black athletic shoes found inside, Eno said she realized the tongue of the shoes felt thicker than usual. When they were checked, both were found to contain tobacco.

—Picked up Carlos S. Williams, 41, of Conyers, as a person wanted by Dekalb County authorities for failure to appear in court. Deputy Walker learned of the outstanding warrant when he made a traffic stop of his vehicle. Williams was also charged locally with speeding and driving on a suspended license.

— Investigated a complaint that a substitute Crisp County school bus driver had injured a 6-year-old girl when she grabbed her by the arm and pushed her into a seat. In doing so, the child’s face struck a window causing visible swelling around her lips.

The child’s mother told Deputy Keon Sales that her daughter and other children have seen the offender taking similar action against others.

— Made various arrests.

Bennett Wright, 50, of 129 Spring St., was charged last Saturday morning with burglary after allegedly breaking into a convenience store near the State Farmers Market.

Deputy Wayne Taylor said he was making a routine check of buildings in that area when he heard an audible alarm and upon investigating learned it was coming from Andy’s Food Mart.

Both the front and back doors were locked. Cordele Police Department officers Lewis New and Ketorie Sales arrived to assist and helped the deputies secure the front and rear of the building.

When store personnel arrived at the scene, officers entered the building and found where someone had fallen through the ceiling tiles. In doing so, the burglar landed on and broke a table. Two 12 packs of beer were found behind the counter.

After an extensive search of the premises, Wright was found hiding on top of the exhaust hood over the fryer units in the kitchen.

Derek Addison McDermott, 19, of Bradenton, Fla., was initially charged by Deputy Purvis with speeding 88 mph in a 70 mph zone on I-75 last Saturday morning. A subsequent check of his car led to an additional citation for possession of marijuana.

Deputy Kea Tukes cited Hernesto Ramirez, of 2102 Hwy. 41 N., for disorderly conduct after officers were called to investigate two Hispanic males dropping trash in front of Andy’s Food Mart.

Taylor also cited Charlie Pinkney Powell, 35, of 215 Simmons Dairy Rd., with disorderly conduct after he reportedly cursed and threatened his wife on Oct. 20.

— Received a number of complaints from Crisp County Power Commission employees about the theft of electricity.

Deputy Tom Kelly said he was told that a meter box seal had been broken and the meter damaged at an Oak Ave. W. address where electricity had been cut off for non-payment.

Kelly was also the investigating officer in a similar case that occurred at a residence in the 700 block of Joe Wright Drive. Charges are pending.

Another case of electricity theft was reported at an Evergreen St. address where a security light that had been turned off for non-payment had been turned back on without authorization. Charges are also pending in that case.

Meanwhile, Willie Albert Allen Jr., 46, of 115 Third Ave. W., was charged by Deputy Chad Walker with theft by taking, theft of service and interfering with public utilities after he allegedly stole a meter from a Third Ave. E., residence and installed it at his home.

—Detained Charles Alvin Black of Cordele for Perry authorities on unspecified charges. Deputy Ben Sumner learned Black, who was a passenger in a car stopped for traffic violations, was wanted when he ran a routine check on him.

— Investigated property damage at three locations.

A resident of the 100 block of Swift Creek Rd. told Deputy Jason Gourley that someone had shot the back window in his 1994 Dodge Ram. The victim was able to provide the officer with the name of a possible offender.

At a Wildwood Dr. location, Deputy Chad Walker said he was told by the complainant that on more than one occasion vandals had cut a rope stretched across her drive.

She said that on Oct. 20 she put up a chain across the drive only to find the post it had been attached to knocked down the next morning.

A resident of the 1900 block of Crisp St. told Deputy Andy Hester that between Oct. 18-21 someone damaged the window of his nephew’s 1996 GMC in an apparent failed attempt to gain entry into the vehicle.

— Charged Cornelia Juanita Henderson, 24, of Atlanta, with giving a false name and statements to authorities and identity theft.

Deputy Kenny Purvis took Williams into custody after making an Oct. 21 traffic stop of a vehicle he observed following too closely to the car in front of it.

The officer said he immediately suspected the driver’s license presented to him by Williams to be a fake and upon following up on his hunch found that to be the case.

Brad Bailey, the operator of the vehicle at the time it was stopped, was cited for driving on a revoked license.

— Said thieves stole three pairs of Georgia boots valued at $247 from Ace Hardware. The culprits left their old boots in the new boot boxes.

— Received an assault/battery:terroristic threats/intimidation complaint from an openly gay student who has had an ongoing relationship with the person believed to be responsible for calling and threatening him.