Newspaper Page Text
The True Citizen, Wednesday, November 25, 2009 — Page 9
From the Blotter
Bus-ted
Two moms may be in trouble, pending footage recorded on
Burke County school buses.
According to reports fded at the sheriff’s office, officers will
be reviewing footage from a stop on Pecan Grove Drive where
a 26-year-old mother allegedly yelled and cursed at a 10-year-
old boy who she said had beaten up her child. Although the
driver said the mother didn’t actually step onto the bus. around
39 children witnessed the outburst.
Campus security officers are looking into several unrelated
incidents, also involving a parent.
According to their reports, the mother stepped onto the bus
and used profane language in the presence of about 40 stu
dents after her child wasn’t let off of the bus at the correct stop.
About two weeks later, she reportedly blocked the bus at a
Cates Mead Road stop and screamed profanities at the driver
in front of the children again. According to the report, the driver
refused to open the door for fear the woman would charge
inside. The offender later called the bus shop and BOE office
and cursed at several employees as well.
Runaways
Three teenagers stole a West Care van and made off for
Atlanta.
According to a report filed Sunday by employees at the
Quaker Road substance abuse center for boys, the teens went
missing after bedtime and sped off in the van when they were
spotted sitting inside it.
According to Sgt. Dan Lowe, an investigator for the sheriff’s
office, two of the boys, ages 14 and 15, were picked up by
Decatur police two days later when they were seen running
away from the parked van.
The 17-year-old driver, William Goodman of Lithonia
Springs, is still missing and believed to be in the Atlanta area.
He is charged with theft by taking (motor vehicle).
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Pit bull owner gets prison
sentence for fighting dogs
E
a
By Anne Marie Kyzer
annemariek@thetruecitizen.com
Michael Vick got a much
lighter prison sentence than a
pit bull owner who faced dog
fighting charges in Burke
County Superior Court last
week.
Lenwood Heath Jr., 26, re
ceived a five-year prison sen
tence after pleading guilty to
one count each of cruelty to
animals and dog fighting.
Vick received a 23-month
prison sentence in 2007 from a
federal judge after funding a
dog fighting operation on his
property in rural Virginia.
Heath’s charges stemmed from
2006 incidents that were re
corded in cell phone videos
showing Heath’s two pit bulls
killing other dogs in staged
fights, according to assistant
district attorney Rex Myers.
In September 2006, Heath
had initially been arrested,
along with two other men, for
an attempted theft in Screven
County, and investigators
learned that the threesome had
been communicating about the
crime on their cell phones.
When the phones were
searched, footage of the dog
fights was discovered.
“It appears that all three dogs
in the video were killed by hav
ing their throats ripped out by
the pit bulls,” Myers told Judge
Michael N. Annis.
The videos were made in the
backyard of Heath’s girlfriend.
Heath, who has a lengthy
criminal history, was already in
the prison system for a convic
tion on the Screven County
charge.
Judge Annis sentenced him
to five years in prison for the
cruelty and dog fighting
charges, but he will receive
credit for the time he has been
in prison since his arrest in
2006.
For an unrelated incident in
volving an ex-girlfriend that
same year, Heath pleaded
guilty to simple battery and re
ceived one year jail time. How
ever, since he has already been
in prison for more than three
years, that sentence has essen
tially already been carried out.
VSchool Menu#
BURKE COUNTY - Nov. 30-Dec. 4
Monday - Baked Chicken w/WW Roll, Chicken Fajita Sandwich, Packaged Salad,
Mashed Potatoes, Squash Casserole, Corn Nuggets, Tangerine, Fruit Cobbler.
Tuesday - BBQ Sandwich, Pimento Cheese Sandwich on WW Bread, Packaged Salad,
Broccoli Normandy, Macaroni Salad, Rosy Applesauce, Plum, Blueberry Muffin.
Wednesday - Beef Vegetable Soup w/Peanut Butter Sandwich on WW Bread, Chicken
Pasta Salad w/Lettuce & Crackers Packaged Salad, Sun Chips, Black Eyed Peas, Raw
Vegetables w/Dip, Fruit Cup, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie.
Thursday ■ Hamburger on Bun, Chicken Salad on WW Wrap, Packaged Salad, French
Fries, Broccoli Rice Casserole, Lettuce & Tomato, Pear Salad, Candied Apple Wedges.
Friday ■ Chicken Strips w/Biscuit, Peanut Butter Sandwich on WW Bread, Packaged
Salad, Macaroni & Cheese, Grape Tomatoes, Potato Salad, Mandarin Oranges, Jell-0 w/
Fruit.
U.C
Judge vows to put burglars behind bars
By Anne Marie Kyzer
annemariek@thetruecitizen.com
A Superior Court Judge who
handles cases in Burke County
has a message for those who
stand before him charged with
burglary. Jail time is certain.
Judge James G. Blanchard
said he does not plan to sentence
defendants to strictly probation
if they are charged with burglary
or related crimes such as theft
by receiving stolen property.
One defendant found out the
hard way when he came before
Judge Blanchard Monday.
Ronnie Daniel Hughes, 28,
had been indicted on three
counts of theft by receiving sto
len property for buying three
firearms that he allegedly knew
were taken in a Burke County
burglary. Hughes was prepared
to plea guilty because the dis
trict attorney’s office had rec
ommended probation. Assistant
DA Dana Wolk said Hughes
was not believed to have been
involved with the burglary and
had no prior criminal history.
Hughes changed his mind
about pleading guilty, however,
when Judge Blanchard prom
ised him prison time.
“I’m going to send him to
prison if he comes before me
today,” Judge Blanchard said.
“I’m telling everyone upfront.
I’m going to stop this breaking
into houses down here in Burke
County. Everyone involved is
going to go to prison. I’m put
ting everyone on notice right
now.”
Hughes’ attorney promptly
withdrew the guilty plea.
Burke County Sheriff Greg
Coursey, who was in court that
morning during the exchange,
applauded Judge Blanchard’s
efforts to send down harsher
Bond denied
for hit and
run suspect
A Horry County judge de
nied bond for a Burke
County woman accused
of running over two
women during a purse
snatching. Katherine
Michelle Johnson, 31,
was arrested earlier this
month in connection
with a Nov. 9 incident in
which she allegedly stole
a purse from a 73-year-
old woman at a Myrtle
Beach K-Mart, then ran
over her and a 51-year-
old good Samaritan
while trying to get away.
The 51-year-old remains
in critical condition. Ac
cording to news media
there, a judge denied
bond for her charges of
assault and battery with
intent to kill. For purse
snatching and leaving
the scene of an accident,
bond was set at $25,000
and $100,000, respec
tively. Johnson was ar
rested on the job Nov. 10
at Bankers Insurance
and Casualty after depu
ties here received an
anonymous tip.
Reports
17, of Hometract Road,
Waynesboro, was arrested for
simple battery and disorderly
conduct (BOE campus police
case).
• Matt Michael Riley, 31, of
Old Edgefield Road, North Au
gusta, SC, was arrested for driv
ing with a suspended or revoked
license. A $ 1,300 property bond
was posted.
Tuesday, Nov. 17
• Kandall Ilene Dillon, 49, of
Keysville-Boggs Academy
Road, Keysville, was arrested
for DUI, driving without a li
cense on person, violation of the
Georgia Open Container Law
and failure to maintain lane. A
$2,725 property bond was
posted.
Wednesday, Nov. 18
• Kelly Williams-Wayne Gay,
18, of Liberty Street,
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punishment.
“He’s doing what he can,”
Sheriff Coursey said. "He said
he will have as much court as
possible to try these burglary
and theft cases, and he’s going
to send them to prison.”
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Waynesboro, was arrested for
driving while unlicensed. A
$1,300 property bond was
posted.
•• Michelle Lynn Mack, 40, of
Farmers Bridge Road,
Hephzibah, was arrested for
driving while unlicensed. A
$1,300 property bond was
posted.
• Zandra Gail Johnson, 22, of
Briarwood Court, Waynesboro,
was arrested for deposit account
fraud. A $1,300 property bond
was posted.
• Simon Martinez Escobar,
35, of Quaker Road, Wrens, was
arrested for driving while unli
censed. A $ 1,300 property bond
was posted.
Friday, Nov. 20
• A 16-year-old Waynesboro
boy was arrested for disorderly
conduct and unruly juvenile.
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