Oconee Blotter: Tearful woman in breakup, plows car into safety cables on loop

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office reported the following incidents:

FENTANYL FOUND: On Aug. 13, Deputy Seth McCart was dispatched to Walmart, where a 22-year-old Athens woman was being detained after she was seen placing hats, shoes, shorts, and T-shirts inside a bookbag, then attempting to leave the store without paying. The deputy placed her in his patrol unit and observed her digging inside her clothing. McCart called for a female deputy. She searched the woman and recovered a bag of fentanyl, which resulted in an additional charge when the suspect reached the jail.

TIRE STABBED: On Aug. 13, Deputy Chris Haag met with a 35-year-old Watkinsville woman who reported she drove to a business at the Oconee Connector and pulled up close to a car, where a man was holding his door open. She noticed the man stare at her and looked irritated that she pulled so close. She went into the business and when she came back out, she found a tire flat. She suspects the man. The deputy observed a cut in the tire.

ROADSIDE DISPUTE: On Aug. 13, Cpl. Quinton NeSmith was traveling at the Oconee Connector, when he saw a woman exit a car. She appeared angry as she held a small dog and slammed the door. Then a man exited and they began shouting at each other. The deputy drove to the site and the man explained his girlfriend saw a video on his phone and now believes he is cheating on her. During their dispute, she demanded he pull over so she could get out. The deputy discovered the 45-year-old woman from Tallahassee, Florida., was wanted on a warrant out of Pasco County, Florida. Authorities there wanted her detained so she was taken to jail. No charges resulted from their spat.

EMOTIONAL WRECK: On Aug. 18, Cpl. Lex Ogan was dispatched about 12:50 a.m. to the Athens Perimeter after an Athens-Clarke police officer came upon a wreck in the center median. Ogan saw a woman in the Hyundai Elantra. He determined that 200 feet of cable was damaged and 15 support posts were destroyed. The woman, with makeup running down her face, bloodshot eyes, and alcohol on her breath, said she was not hurt. She explained she was upset after breaking up with her boyfriend. She was crying as she drove on the highway and missed a curve due to tears in her eyes. She admitted drinking a beer and her favorite, a White Paper Plane, a drink made of bourbon, lemon juice and other unidentified ingredients. The 26-year-old Grayson woman was charged with DUI and taken to a hospital for a blood test.

PERIMETER WRECK: On Aug.  18, Deputy John Young, assisted by Cpl. Lex Ogan responded about 5:45 a.m. to a wreck on the Athens Perimeter after an Athens-Clarke police officer spotted a vehicle crashed on an embankment. The 23-year-old Winterville woman explained she picked up her male passenger at a bar in Athens and they were traveling to her home when she crashed. The woman explained in slurred speech that she had a cocktail prior to the wreck. She was charged with DUI and the 24-year-old Douglasville man was cited for having an open container of alcohol.

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SHOPLIFTING CHARGE: On Aug. 13, Deputy Doug Mattocks was dispatched to Walmart to arrest a shoplifting suspect who was seen skip-scanning merchandise. The 32-year-old Watkinsville man didn’t pay for three packs of roast beef, a bottle of fruit punch, some chicken gizzards, a turkey ham and a case of Modelo beer.

SUSPENDED LICENSE: On Aug. 13, Cpl. Lex Ogan was patrolling on U.S. Highway 441 in Bishop when he observed a Buick Verano traveling at about 75 mph. Ogan got behind the vehicle and it suddenly braked for no apparent reason, pulled along the shoulder, and kept going. The officer activated his blue lights and stopped the vehicle. He learned the 29-year-old Milledgeville man had a license that had a suspension from out of state. He also had a vape pen with concentrated THC oil and a bag of marijuana. Before he was taken to jail, the man explained he had a ticket out of Texas that he never properly disposed.

ANGRY  DRIVER: On Aug. 14, Deputy Gregory Harrison made a traffic stop on Mars Hill Road on a Ford Transit vehicle that did not have a working brake light. The driver became agitated at the stop and began raising his voice at the officer. The deputy decided to put him in handcuffs for safety reasons, but the man grabbed the officer and slammed him against the vehicle. The deputy then pulled his Taser gun and was able to subdue the man after the Taser successfully deployed. Four more deputies arrived as backup and the 47-year-old Bishop man was taken to jail.

SHOPLIFTER CHARGED: On Aug. 14, Deputy Annessa Glenn was dispatched to Walmart, where a 45-year-old Bishop man was detained after he was seen skip-scanning several items including a mini-ice maker, mop head, wood stain, and rubbing alcohol. The man offered to pay for the items. When the deputy mentioned the cost of the items, the man replied that people “who have money don’t look at prices.”

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Oconee Blotter: Tearful woman in breakup, plows car into safety cables on loop