Madison Police
Department

    • On February 18 a larceny from a building complaint was filed at a Madison Avenue location after a woman reported that someone had taken a new IPod Touch from her house. The device is valued at $210.

    • On February 19 damage to property complaint was filed at a Micha Way location after a woman reported that someone had damaged a window to her apartment, possibly with a screwdriver in an attempt to enter the apartment.

    • On February 19 a cruelty to animals complaint was filed at a Highland Avenue location after a man reported that he left his two dogs in the care of his brother for a day. The man said when he retrieved the dogs one of the dogs was unable to walk. The man took the dog to a veterinarian who told the complainant that the dog suffered from head trauma and had been choked. An officer observed that the dog was breathing but was unresponsive. The brother said he let both dogs out of the house to urinate and that he heard the injured dog yelp before running back into the house. Later, the man said, the injured dog was walking “crooked” and then could not walk at all.

    • On February 16 Cody Baines Jackson, 22, Madison was arrested and charged with a seat belt violation and possession of marijuana after an officer stopped Jackson on West Jefferson Street for a seat belt violation. According to reports, after the stop the officer allegedly located a small packet of suspected marijuana in a cigarette pack and some suspected marijuana mixed with tobacco in a cup in the vehicle.

    • On February 19 a criminal trespass complaint was filed at a Burney Street location after a woman reported that a man was at her house banging on her bedroom window. The woman told officers she had secured a temporary protective order against the man. When officers arrived, reports state, the man allegedly fled into a wooded area behind the residence. Officers gave chase but did not locate the man. Officers told the woman that the protective order had expired and suggested she secure another protective order.

    • On February 17 Chester Riley Stephens, 26, Buckhead, was arrested and charged with simple assault and criminal trespass after he allegedly struck a woman known to him several times in the head. According to reports an officer responded to a fight in progress call at an Eatonton Road motel and was told by the woman that during an argument Stephens allegedly struck her and threw her cell phone at her head. The woman said the argument stemmed from her allegation that Stephens took her vehicle for the entire day.

    • On February 14 a burglary complaint was filed at a West Washington Street location after a woman reported that some time between February 7 and February 14 someone had entered her office and removed an Apple Mac Book computer. The computer is valued at $1,200.

    • On February 14 a recovered stolen vehicle report was filed at an East Central Avenue location after an officer observed a 1992 Ford F 150 pickup improperly parked on the side of the road. The truck had been reported stolen out of Athens.
Morgan County Sheriff’s Office

    • On February 17 a criminal damage to property complaint was filed at an East Main Street, Rutledge location after a woman reported that she had recently placed a heating and air unit at the house.

    The woman said that when she began moving into the house she noticed that someone had taken the air condition unit apart and disconnected it from the house.

    • On February 4 Steven Payne Messer, 25, Rutledge was arrested and charged with hindering a person making a 911 call after he allegedly took a woman’s cell phone and broke it. According to reports, officers were called to a Nunnally Street location after a woman alleged that Messer had stuck her during the argument. The woman then refused to cooperate with investigators and refused to release the damaged cell phone.

    • On February 7 James Laborn, 56, Madison, was arrested and charged with simple battery and cruelty to children after he allegedly struck a woman in the face while she held her four-month-old child.

    • On February 7 a theft by taking complaint was filed at a Greensboro Highway location after a man reported that someone had taken two commercial air conditioning units from a building.

    • On February 10 a criminal trespass complaint was filed at a Long Lane location after a man turned in video recordings of two men riding motorcycles on his property. The man also identified one of the men.

    • On February 13 a burglary and theft by taking complaint was filed at a Reese Road location after a man reported that someone had entered his property and removed a Kubota tractor, chain saw, off road diesel, a Kubota mower and front loader. Total loss, the man said, is more than $12,000.

    • On February 14 a theft by taking complaint was filed at a Big Sandy Creek location after a woman alleged that a man she knew had taken two bracelets worth $4,000 from her car. The woman said the man allegedly took the items on December 20 and she had withheld reporting the theft because she believed the man would return the bracelets.

    The woman said she also gave the man $2,000 for an alleged investment.

    • On February 14 a criminal trespass complaint was filed at a Rehoboth Road location after a woman reported that a man who she had told several times not to come onto her property came onto her property.  The man told authorities that he was attempting to retrieve his mother’s dog. The woman also accused the man of hitting golf balls onto her property.

    • On February 14 Chadwick Mitchell Thomas, 32, Madison, was arrested and charged with aggravated stalking after he allegedly drove his truck to the front door of a man’s house while the man had an active temporary protective order against Thomas. Reports state that Thomas also allegedly engaged in an argument with his brother on the same day.

    • On February 16 a financial transaction card fraud complaint was filed at an Eatonton Road location after a woman reported that someone had used her bank information to make more than $500 worth of purchases at an internet site. The woman said she had contacted the bank and the charges have been stopped.

    • On February 19 an entering automobile and theft by taking complaint was filed at a Pine Tree Circle location after a man reported that someone had entered his vehicle and removed a CD player. The man valued the player at $150.

    • On February 20 a burglary complaint was filed at a Pierce Dairy Road location after a man reported that someone had broken a window at Bethlehem Baptist Church and entered the church.

    The man reported that after entry was gained the suspect took food and soft drinks from a kitchen in the church.

Printed in the February 24, 2011 edition.