Newspaper Page Text
On The Record
The
Commerce News
JANUARY 30,2008 • Page 7A
Commerce Police Department Arrests
2 Charged In Separate Shoplifting Cases
Officers of the Commerce
Police Department made a pair of
shoplifting arrests last week, one
at each end of town.
They charged Aaron Christopher
J. Ward, 22, of 144 Crestwood
Circle, Commerce, after he alleg
edly tried to steal two University
of Georgia sweatshirts from Dollar
General, located on B. Wilson
Road at the north end of town.
A store employee told the
responding officer that she’d seen
Ward stuff a UGA sweatshirt into
his pants, after which he tried to
buy a package of toilet paper.
According to the arrest report,
the officer asked Ward if he had
any merchandise concealed on
his person, at which time Ward
admitted that he did and began
crying. Police recovered not one,
but two UGA sweatshirts.
The other incident took place
at Ingles, located on South Elm
Street at the south end of town.
Police charged Gretta Fay Carey,
23, of 205 Double H Forge Road,
Commerce, with shoplifting.
The store manager told police
that he observed Fay concealing
a disposable camera and con
fronted her after she took a make
up pen out of its container.
According to the report, when
the officer asked her what she
was doing, Fay told him she was
“placing a tampon in while walk
ing down the aisle."
Other Arrests
Other arrests reported by city
police during the past week
include:
•Fernando Dominguez Rosas,
23, 87 Howell handing, Duluth,
driving without a license, no proof
of insurance and failure to register
a vehicle in 30 days. The charges
came after Rosas was pulled over
for a tag violation.
•Edward Josie Richardson, 46,
206 Iris Drive, Demorest, picked
up from Habersham County
officials who arrested him on a
Commerce bench warrant. He
was released after he paid an out
standing fine.
•Brittany Fynn Dickinson, 20,
2847 Red Pawn Drive, Clover,
SC, speeding and driving with a
suspended license.
•Russell Keith Cochran, 50,
1976 Duncan Road, Commerce,
driving under the influence (DUI)
of intoxicants, driving with a sus
pended license and a taillight vio
lation.
•Jeffrey Craig Jones, 36, 1346
Harris Lord Cemetery Road,
Commerce, driving with an
expired tag and driving with a sus
pended license. The report said
his license had been suspended
for charges related to child sup
port obligations and DUI.
•Shana Amber Porter, 29, 190
McElhaney Road, Bethlehem,
picked up from Barrow County
on an unspecified local warrant.
•harry Patrick Clark, 45, 630
Wrights Mill Road, Commerce,
arrested on a Banks County war
rant after his vehicle was pulled
over for tag and windshield vio
lations. The officer chose not
to cite him for those violations
because he had just purchased
the vehicle.
•Jody Catlett Ferguson, 39, 395
Ferguson Road, Baldwin, on an
unspecified local warrant. He was
picked up in Cornelia and was
released after an outstanding fine
of $232 was paid.
•Jack Scott Cardin, 43, 45
Cole Court, Commerce, misde
meanor possession of marijuana.
The charge came after an officer
found the marijuana and a pipe
in a small refrigerator in Cardin’s
home while in the process of
investigating a report that a minor
child in the residence had been
reported repeatedly asking neigh
bors for food because there was
none in the house.
•Tammy Tarpkins, 31, 335
Pine Avenue, Commerce, on an
unspecified Jackson County war
rant. The officer saw her walking
on Hill Street and knew of the
warrant.
Commerce Police Department Incident Reports
Gas Thief Hits Flying J For Fifth Time Since Nov. 13
Commerce police and the Flying
J travel plaza are on the lookout
for a serial gas theft.
The company summoned
police last week after a white
male, possibly in his 60s, pumped
$37 worth of gasoline into his late
model Chevrolet truck and drove
off without paying.
That is hardly unusual, but store
personnel told police that this
was the fifth time since Nov. 13
that the same man had stolen
gasoline.
Surveillance photos show the
vehicle, but only a partial tag
number, according to the police
report.
Other Reports
Other reports filed by city police
during the past week include:
• harassment reported at a Cole
Court address where a 26-year-
old white female complained that
her neighbor has been threaten
ing to have the younger woman
jailed and her children taken away.
The woman, a 45-year-old white
female, also goes through the
woman’s mail, she said, adding
that she wanted a police report
so she could seek a restraining
order.
•a belated report of threats
made by a 42-year-old white
female who said that two weeks
earlier a man with whom she is in
a continuous dispute told her “I
am going to blow your (expletive
deleted) head off."
• obstruction and disruption of
school reported at Commerce
Middle School. No details were
provided.
•criminal trespass at a Fouise
Drive location where a 45-year-old
white male complained that two
Fatino youths, one 17 and one 18,
entered his yard to try to entice
his teenage sons into a fight. The
man said one of the boys has pre
viously been warned not to enter
this yard, and the report indicated
that the man intends to prosecute.
The other boy was told to stay off
the victim’s property.
•criminal damage to property
at a Shankle Heights house where
the white male owner reported
three front windows broken,
apparently by rocks.
• theft by taking at BJC Medical
Center, where someone stole
two batteries off the tractor that
moves the hospital’s imaging cen
ter trailer.
• entering an auto, theft by tak
ing and criminal trespass at Don’s
Used Car hot, Maysville Road.
The report said nine vehicles were
entered. Thieves stole six catalyt
ic converters, one fuel pump, two
radios and one wiring harness.
• forgery at Fuel Mart, Maysville
Road. The store clerk said a
female customer tried to buy
something with a counterfeit $20
bill. When the clerk noticed the
fake and questioned the woman,
the woman told her that she’d got
ten the bill at the Pendergrass Flea
Market. When the clerk called the
police, the woman — said to be a
frequent customer — left.
NEED PRINTING?
CALL
706-367-5233
12 Sentenced In
Superior Court
During Past Week
JEFFERSON - Twelve people
were sentenced in Superior
Court proceedings last week,
including the following:
• Denver Jermaine Pittman,
pointing a pistol at another per
son, six years probation, $1,000
fine and no violent contact with
the victim.
•Feroy Reid, possession of
cocaine, waive fourth amend
ment rights, $1,000 fine and four
years probation.
•Ashlee Sabrina Elrod, pos
session of methamphetamine,
waive fourth amendment rights,
$1,000 fine, eight years proba
tion and 30 days in jail.
•Clyde Fletch Hubbard, pos
session of methamphetamine,
waive fourth amendment rights,
six years probation, $1,000 fine
and 90 days in jail.
• Jontae Famar Smith, robbery
by sudden snatch, $1,000 fine,
90 to 120 days in jail, seven
years probation and no contact
with the victim.
• Joshua Bray, harassing phone
calls, 12 months probation, $750
fine and no contact with the
victim.
•Becky Marie Crane, posses
sion of methamphetamine, three
years in jail.
•Eric Mitchell, fleeing
or attempting to elude a law
enforcement officer, possession
of marijuana and suspended
license, $2,000 fine, four years
probation and two days in jail.
• Michael J. Henson, obstruc
tion, possession of cocaine,
aggravated assault and cruelty
to children, one year in jail, eight
years probation and $3,000
fine.
•Ann R. Ward, theft by shop
lifting, three years in jail, seven
years probation, 10 years pro
bation, $1,000 fine and mental
health evaluation.
•Henry Watkins, possession
of clonazapan and possession
of alprazalom, four years pro
bation, $1,000 fine and waive
fourth amendment rights.
• Ricky Hanson, possession of
a firearm by a convicted felon,
five years probation, 20 week
ends in jail, $1,000 fine, Risk
Reduction Program, 40 hours
community service and 24 hours
in jail.
DISMISSED
The following cases were dis
missed:
•Michael Jefferson Henson,
aggravated assault, cruelty to
children and obstruction.
• Daniel Phillip Wilson, terror
istic threats, 60 days in jail, four
years probation, $1,000 fine,
alcohol and drug evaluation and
to have no contact with the vic
tim.
Banks-Jackson Risk Reduction
DUI SCHOOL
336-6777
DEFENSIVE DRIVING
1728 North Broad Street, Commerce, State Certified 5010 and 2007
Next DUI Class begins on February 2, 2008
Next Defensive Driving Class will be held on February 9,2008
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Grand Opening!
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706-336-8080
249 Pottery Factory Drive, Commerce
Commerce Crossing Shopping Center
Stop in and say hello to
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SAMPLE BALLOT
JACKSON COUNTY
PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE PRIMARY
FEBRUARY 5, 2008