Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 8A
BARROW JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2008
Public Safety
reports on crimes, wrecks, fires & courts
Chateau Elan guard faked stabbing story
Gas leak caused house explosion
Trick-or-Treating
safety tips for
kids and parents
By Lt. Todd Druse
Winder Police Department
For children, Halloween can
be one of the most fun times of
the year. Ghosts, goblins, and
all things spooky are out in full-
force as our youngsters trick-
or-treat the night away. The
Winder Police Department is
committed to helping our com
munity enjoy a happy and safe
Halloween and has included a
list of things to remember on
Halloween night:
•Carry a flashlight or
glow stick to help make kids
visible.
•Small children should
always be accompanied by a
parent or responsible adult.
•Older kids should trick-
or-treat in groups for enhanced
safety.
•NEVER enter someone's
home without permission from
parents.
•Do not eat any treats until
a parent or responsible adult
see Safety tips on page 9A
‘Cop Talk’ to
broadcast on
local station
Barrow citizens now have
the opportunity to learn
more about the people who
work 24/7 to protect lives
and property within the
county.
Beginning September 1,
Winder’s public television
station, WCTV24 (Channel
24 for Comcast subscrib
ers), began airing “Cop Talk
with Dorsey and Druse”
featuring Winder police
captain Dennis Dorsey and
Lieutenant Todd Druse.
The purpose of the show
is to introduce viewers to
the many different agen
cies that operate in and
around Barrow County.
Programs will include
interviews, tours, safety
tips and some of the more
“human” moments in the
lives of public safety offi
cials.
New episodes are sched
uled to be aired every two
weeks.
“We always welcome
the input of our viewers,”
Dorsey said. “We sincerely
hope that anyone with ideas
for show topics they would
like to see us do will either
call us at the Winder Police
Department or e-mail us at
coptalk@wctv24.com.”
Cop Talk can be seen on
WCTV24 Monday - Friday
at 7:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
For more information about
WCTC24 or Cop Talk, visit
www.wctv24.com.
By Kerri Testement
Braselton police have arrest
ed a guard at Chateau Elan
for falsifying a story that he
was stabbed by an unknown
suspect.
Micheal James Williamson,
53, of Lilbum, told police that
while on duty at a security gate
at Chateau Elan Estates on
July 27, he was attacked and
stabbed by another person.
At the time, Williamson said
he was sitting in the guard
house on Autumn Maple Drive
when the lights were turned
off just before 2 a.m.
Taken by surprise,
Williamson said he felt some
thing around his neck and a
fight started between him and
the unknown suspect, who
was reported as wearing a ski
mask.
Williamson received about
five superficial wounds from
the alleged attack and was
taken to Gwinnett Medical
Center for treatment. A pair
of scissors was considered a
weapon in the incident.
But Braselton detective J.D.
Arrests made last week
by the Statham Police
Department include the fol
lowing:
•Stephen Thomas Owens,
54, 200 2nd Street, Statham,
battery.
•James David Bedgood Jr.,
39, 52 Hwy. 211, Statham,
DUI.
The Georgia State Patrol
made the following arrests in
Barrow County last week:
•Irma Espinosa Arellano, 29,
224 Chesterton Drive, Athens,
driving while unlicensed.
•Darley Fernando Bernal.
35, 116 Wisteria Way, Athens,
DUI and possession of mari
juana.
•Charles Wilson Berry III,
29, P.O. Box 682, Auburn,
DUI, possession of marijuana
and headlight violation.
•Evan Mitchell Cerwonka,
21, 264 Ruth Street, Athens,
DUI, driving while unlicensed
and expired vehicle tag or
decal.
•Juan Samual Hernandez,
25, 600 Vincent Drive, Athens,
driving while unlicensed.
•Osmany Mendoza
Hernandez, 23, 140 Winter
Court, Athens, driving while
unlicensed.
•Charles Garnell Johnson
III, 19, 2025 Shallowford
Park, Roswell, possession of
alcohol by a minor and pos
session of marijuana.
•David Hall Lonas Jr., 23,
1445 Apalachee Falls Road,
Monroe, possession of mari
juana.
•Domingo Castro Martinez,
Capital Apartment IF, Athens,
Gille said some things in the
case “didn’t seem right.”
While studying photographs
of the crime scene a few days
after the alleged attack, Gille
said he started to question
Williamson’s story.
Gille said Williamson’s shirt
was still neatly tucked into his
pants, and his badge and a pen
in his shirt remained in place
after the alleged fight.
Based on some of that evi
dence, Gille sent photos of
Williamson’s wounds to a med
ical examiner at the Georgia
Bureau of Investigation.
That doctor later said it
appeared that Williamson’s
superficial wounds were self-
inflicted.
Williamson arrived at the
Braselton Police Department
on Monday to answer inves
tigators’ questions about evi
dence shown in the photo
graphs and his story.
Williamson denied falsify
ing the story to police, Gille
said. He was then arrested and
charged with making a false
report of a crime and making
•Alejandro Hernandez
Chavez, 25, 124 Magnolia
Creek, Athens, driving while
unlicensed and failure to
drive within single lane.
•Devckio Fametrius Terrell,
30, 144 Winterhill Drive,
Winterville, driving with sus
pended or revoked license ad
tail light violation.
driving while unlicensed.
•Archie McCaskill, 33, 110
Deer Creek Drive, Athens,
driving while unlicensed and
expired vehicle tag or decal.
•Michael Cody McIntyre,
23, 233 Seagraves Drive,
Athens, DUI.
•Luis Miguel Ponce, 24,
115 Hanover Place, Athens,
driving while unlicensed.
•William Grant Morgan, 18,
4046 Noel Drive, Birmingham,
Ala., possession of alcohol by
a minor and possession of
marijuana.
•Bradley Kevin O’Brien,
19, 2020 Magnolia Road,
Birmingham, Ala., possession
of marijuana, DUI and posses
sion of alcohol by a minor.
•Bruce Pugh Sr., 44, 585
H. Street, Statham, failure to
change address on driver's
license and DUI.
•Ashlee Marie Roughton,
24, 1540 Hunters Cove,
Auburn, possession of mari
juana.
•Federrico Solorzano, 27,
120 Elkwood Road, Athens,
driving without license on per
son.
•Kyle Michael Wooten, 20,
245 Mayfield Farms Drive,
Lawrenceville, possession of
marijuana.
a false statement to a police
officer.
Williamson had been on the
job eight days when he told
police he was attacked by a
suspect. He was an employ
ee of Allied Barton Security
Services, which provides secu
rity services to neighborhoods
in Chateau Elan.
Another security guard on
duty at the time of the attack
was patrolling a subdivision in
Chateau Elan.
“I wish I knew why he did
this,” Gille said. “I don’t have
a motive.”
Gille said on the night of the
alleged attack, law enforce
ment agencies from Braselton,
Hoschton, Barrow County and
Hall County, and a medical
unit from Gwinnett County
responded to the scene.
Gille said an arrest in the
case assures the public that
there isn’t an unknown suspect
roaming the area committing
such violent acts.
No additional charges are
expected in the case, Gille said
on Monday.
Nineteen people were
charged by the Winder Police
Department last week, includ
ing the following:
•Johnathan Samuel Wilson,
32 East Wright Street, Winder,
probation vilation.
•Antavius Marquez
Flanigan, 260 Capital Avenue,
Winder, probation violation
and failure to appear.
•Kristin Lorraine Burgess,
427 Shenandoah Court,
Winder, warrant.
•Ronald Oliver Nicholson
Jr., 127 Giles Road, Winder,
DUI.
•Thomas Russell King,
4837 Martin Place, Flowery
Branch, suspended registra
tion.
•Jesse Aaaron Smith, 4265
Platinum Court, Hoschton,
possession of marijuana.
•Thomas William Healan
Jr., 194 Etheridge Road,
Auburn, DUI.
•Martin Sandoval, 40 East
New Street, shoplifting.
•Travis Dewayne London, 5
Candlewood Terrace, Winder,
DUI, driving while license
revoked and seat belt viola
tion.
•Mohamed Duke Koroma,
115 Whisper Way, Dacula,
DUI and possession of a con
trolled substance.
•Natalie Rivers Gilmer, 296
Gordon Court, DUI and oper
ating defective equipment.
•Orlando Marquise Lee,
3987 Warren Road, Flowery
Branch, shoplifting and pro
bation violation.
•Stephanie Nicole Ferguson,
823 Lakeview Drive, Winder,
failure to appear.
•Harry D. Kruer, 1202
Bridge Crest Drive, Winder,
A gas leak caused an Auburn
house to explode on Oct. 21,
according to investigators
with the Barrow County Fire
and Emergency Services.
The fire investigation unit
said the explosion was the
result of LP gas being released
from an open line in the base
ment of the house at 227
Wages Road.
The explosion and result
ing fire were the results after
an underdetermined igni
tion source cause the gas to
explode. Due to the extent of
damage by the explosion and
fire, an exact ignition source
couldn't be determined,
according to the team.
A mother and her four chil
dren were home at the time
of the explosion, as well as
a neighbor's child. All six
escaped the explosion without
injuries.
Meanwhile, the community
is reaching out to the family
that escaped the explosion.
“There are a lot of people
that want to reach out and help
this family,” said Lt. Scott
probation violation.
•Jack David Ogle Jr., 255
Elks Street A., Winder, pro
bation violation.
•Darrious Dontra Teasley,
933 Kendall Park Drive,
Winder, failure to appear.
•Monterio Keirr Cooper,
338 Shenandoah Circle,
Winder, contempt of court,
failure to appear and bur
glary.
•Georgio Dequeze Billings,
338 Shenandoah Circle,
Winder, failure to appear and
probation violation.
•Betty Roxanne Yother,
42, 271 East Wright Street,
Winder, unauthorized distri
bution of prescription, posses
sion of hydrocodone, forgery
and unauthorized distribution
of counterfeit trademarks.
INCIDENTS
The following incidents
were reported to the Winder
Police Department last week:
•identity theft against a
North Broad Street woman.
•harassing phone calls at a
West Athens Street address.
•stalking at West Athens
Street location.
•criminal trespass at a
Stovall Street residence.
•burglary at Griffith Street
business.
•theft at a North 5 th Avenue
Dakin, a spokesperson for
the Barrow County Fire and
Emergency Services.
“It shows how great the
citizens in Barrow are,” he
added.
After receiving numerous
calls from citizens and busi
nesses wanting to help the
family, Dakin joined with Meg
Loggins of Rutledge Crane
Services to organize a dona
tion drive to help the family.
Fire department chaplain Mike
Peavy has offered to receive
the donations at Bethlehem
First Baptist Church.
Donations may be dropped
off at the church, located at 548
Hwy. 11 North, Bethlehem,
on weekdays, from 9 a.m. to
5 p.m. Checks may be made
payable to the Barrow County
Firefighters Foundation.
“I want to thankMeg Loggins
for helping in organizing this
as well as Mike Peavy and the
members of Bethlehem First
Baptist Church for accepting
the donations,” Dakin said.
For more information, call
Loggins at 678-261-7552.
location.
•trepassing at West Midland
Avenue address.
•trespassing at a Bellview
Street location.
•simple battery at a Georgia
Avenue address.
•shoplifting at a West
Athens Street business.
•theft at a South Monroe
Hwy. business.
•theft at a King Street resi
dence.
•burglary at a Wood Avenue
location.
•shoplifting at a North
Broad Street business.
•shoplifting at a North
Broad Street location.
•property damage at a
Woodland Avenue residence.
•forgery at a North Broad
Street business.
•burglary at a Wood Avenue
location.
•burglary at a Wood Avenue
address.
•property damage at a
Monroe Avenue residence.
•runaway child from a
South Broad Street location.
•forgery at a East May
Street address.
•harassing phone calls at
a Green Valley Drive resi
dence.
•terroristic threats at a
Green Valley Drive location.
CALL AND COMPARE
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