Morgan County Sheriff’s Office

• On Jan. 16 a battery complaint was filed at an Atlanta Highway, Rutledge, location after a man alledged that his son, who he said is bi-polar and has AIDS, struck him in the back of the head with his fist as the man was attempting to transport the son to Morgan Memorial Hospital. The man requested that the son be removed from his house.
• On Jan. 15 warrants were issued for giving false name to a law enforcement officer for John Lewis, 33, Anderson, S.C. after an officer responded to a stranded motorist call on Interstate 20. According to reports, when the officer arrived Lewis told the officer he was another person. Lewis requested a jump start for his vehicle and told the officer that his grandmother was in a nearby motel. The officer could not confirm his identity and could not confirm that his grandmother was at a motel. The officer determined that the grandmother owned the vehicle and called the grandmother. The grandmother told the officer that Lewis had stolen the car while she was in a bank in Anderson, S.C. and that the car had been reported stolen. The officer also discovered that Lewis had outstanding warrants for his arrest in both Florida and South Carolina.
• On Jan. 15 a verbal dispute complaint was filed at a Hawkins Avenue, Rutledge, location after a woman reported that after she asked her sister where she had been the sister called the complainant's mother a derogatory name. The complainant requested that the sister be evicted.
• On Jan. 14 a harassing phone call complaint was filed at a West Main Street, Rutledge, location after a woman reported that she had received harassing phone calls.

Madison Police Department

• On Jan. 19 Victorria Ryshell Booker, 22, Madison was arrested and charged with shoplifting after she allegedly took several items of clothing from Wal Mart without paying. According to reports, an employee reported observing Booker with the clothes on top of her purse and then observed Booker placing the items in the purse and attempting to leave the store without paying for the items.
• On Jan. 9 Leon Lee Smith, 54, Madison, was arrested and charged with public intoxication after officers responded to a fight in progress complaint at the Eatonton Road Budget Inn. According to reports, a man alleged that Smith had "jumped him" on a sidewalk outside the motel. The man had lacerations to his face which required medical attention. Officers located Smith at a room at the motel and observed spilled beer and blood outside the door of his room. Smith, reports state, had a laceration on his left knuckles and right wrist and "road rash" on his right arm. He was offered medical attention, reports state, but refused. An officer bandaged the laceration on his wrist. Reports state that Smith was unable to offer any details on the incident because of alcohol impairment. He was then arrested for public intoxication.
• On Jan. 14 an arrest warrant was issued for Jerry Lee Kinney, 53, Madison after video survaillance allegedly showed he had crawled under a chain link fence protecting an Eatonton Highway wrecker service and removed several items from vehicles stored at the business. According to reports, the owner reported he had installed the video equipment after similar thefts. The video, reports state, captured video of a man later identified as Kinney entering the yard by crawling under the fence and removing several heavy duty tow chains valued at $2,100. A battery  also was missing.
• On Jan. 9 a larceny complaint was filed at the Present Glory Church on March Street after a man reported that someone had removed an eight-burner commercial grade stove from the rear of the church. The complainant said the church had purchased the stove and it was stored on a back porch area of the church. The stove is valued at $6,000. A witness told authorities that they had observed three black men in a burgandy truck load the stove into the truck and leave the area.
• On Jan. 18 Donta Robertson, 22, Bostwick, was arrested and charged with seat belt violation and possession of marijuana, less than an ounce. According to reports, an officer stopped a vehicle Robertson was driving for the seat belt violation. Consequent to the stop, reports state, the officer allegedly detected the smell of marijuana in the vehicle. The officer searched the vehicle and allegedly found several pieces of suspected marijuana on the driver's side floorboard.
• On Jan. 13 a simple assault complaint was filed at an Atlanta Highway laundry mat after a woman alleged that while she was folding her clothes a man entered the laundry mat, engaged in a verbal altercation regarding a child and then head-butted the woman.

Printed in the January 24, 2013 edition.