From STAFF REPORTS



CORDELE — Responding to tips that railroad tracks were being taken from two locations, Crisp County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrested two men in connection with those incidents on Dec. 1.

Investigator Teresa Tucker said she was first told that four subjects were pulling up rails behind GFA Peanut Company on 24th Ave. W.

One man found at the scene told the officer he was working for Robert Gaston, 69, of 907 17th Ave. W., who had left the area to acquire a chain.

When Gaston returned, he told the officer he had been given permission by a railroad marshal whose name he could not remember to take the rails. That statement could not be verified.

About 40 feet of rail valued at $175 a foot had been damaged and could not be reused. Gaston thus was arrested.

In responding to a second complaint from Crossroad Store Rd., Tucker said she saw a wrecker loaded with railroad connectors. The vehicle driver, Solomon Holt, 51, of Americus, told the officer he, too, had been given permission by Gaston to take the items.

A railroad employee called to the scene said no one had permission to remove anything and that the items loaded on Holt’s truck were valued at $1,500. Holt was subsequently charged with criminal attempt to commit theft and criminal trespass.

It was also learned that another man on the scene, Calvin L. Williams of DeSoto, was wanted on a non-support charge in Sumter County. He was taken into custody by Deputy Andy Hester.

In other recent activity, deputies:

— Received two burglary complaints.

A building contractor told Deputy Kyle Smith Jr. that a house he has under construction in the 2000 block of 10th St. S. was burglarized sometime between 5 p.m. on Nov. 29 and 2:45 on Dec. 3. No indication of what, if anything, was stolen from that location was listed on media incident reports.

A Louis Rd. resident told Deputy Chris Dickerson that a red in color Husky or Brute 125 air compressor valued at $600 was stolen from a shop at his residence sometime between Nov. 27-29.

— Responded to a Nov. 29 assault case involving inmates being held at the Crisp County Youth Detention Center.

Deputy Scott Hawkins said the subjects involved were standing in line in the dining hall when without provocation the offender struck the victim in the mouth with his fist.

The victim’s injuries were serious enough that a dentist and an oral surgeon were called in for treatment of the youth who had several teeth displaced as the result of the attack. The offender was charged with felony battery.

— Received three electricity theft complaints from Crisp County Power Commission employees.

Deputy Melvin Jones said a meter reader told him he in the 700 block of 23rd Ave. W. when he saw a subject picking up pecans at a vacant residence.

When he later returned to his service truck, he realized the subject had removed the meter from the power pole and left the area. It is believed the man had been staying in the vacant home and had been using electricity without making payment.

A second CCPS employee reported another meter tampering case to Deputy Jones. That incident involved an apartment in the 600 block of 20th Ave. W.

In still a third similar case, Investigator Tucker was told by an ex-wife that her former husband had been stealing power from his shop on Twin Pines Rd. by swapping meters every weekend.

One of the meters involved in the alleged scheme has been stolen from a vacant rental house. The case remains under investigation.

— Said a routine traffic stop for a cracked windshield led to the arrest of Michael Desantis Hayes, 26, of Norcross, as a person wanted by Lowndes County authorities.

— Arrested Primose Ephriam Lightsey, no age listed, for drug traffic in cocaine and possession of marijuana.

Deputy Kenny Purvis said the charges stemmed from a traffic stop he made of Lightsey’s southbound automobile for defective equipment.

The officer initially issued him a warning and then asked for consent to search the vehicle. When the request was denied, the K-9 unit from the Ashburn Police Department came to the scene and got a hit on the driver’s door.

Purvis said he then found a marijuana blunt in the car’s cup holder and a sandwich bag containing suspected crack cocaine in the vehicle’s console.

During booking, Lightsey was found to have in his possession 14 $100 bills that were confiscated.

— Made two arrests for pecan theft.

Cited by Deputy Hester after they were caught gathering pecans in the 1800 block of Drayton Rd. on Dec. 4 without permission were Juana Patino, 40, and Isidoro Cruz, 35, both of 122 Virginia Rd.

— Received a harassing communication complaint from a U.S. 280 East resident who told Deputy Chad Walker Saturday that in the two previous days she had received between 50-75 unsolicited telephone calls from three restricted numbers.

She said the callers have made threats on the lives of her and other family members, have threatened to break her small child’s arm and have sent nude picture messages.

The officer attempted to make contact with all three numbers provided by the complainant but received no answer. The case has been turned over to sheriff’s department investigators.

— Searched unsuccessfully for the driver of a blue Mercury Grand Prix after he pumped $34.95 worth of gasoline into the vehicle at Country Store and left without making payment last Saturday.

— Investigated an incident in which a repossession company employee told Deputy Chase McNeese on Sunday night that his wrecker was shot at twice while leaving a Culpepper Rd. residence after being unable to spot the vehicle in question.

In investigating the complaint, McNeese said the home owner told him he had several no trespassing signs posted on his property and that he thought he had the right to protect his yard if anyone passed them. He also said he had only fired shots into the air.

Both parties were advised of the proper procedure to handle such incidents.