Oconee Blotter: Deputy happens upon theft suspects planning to sell stolen loot in Bowman

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11-03-2025

The Oconee County Sheriff's Office reported the following incidents:
ARMED SUSPECTS: On Feb. 26, Deputy Gregory Harrison was dispatched to Walmart, after a man and woman from Monroe were detained after they were accused of shoplifting more than $600 worth of items. The deputy patted the suspects for weapons and found the 22-year-old man was carrying a loaded Glock 27 pistol and the 24-year-old woman had a loaded Glock 43X pistol. They were charged with felony shoplifting and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
SHOPLIFTER RESISTS: On Feb. 27, Sgt. Lex Ogan was dispatched to Walmart for a shoplifting that was in progress. Ogan positioned himself outside the store near the exits. A loss prevention officer confronted the 30-year-old woman and she refused to give back the merchandise, which included bras, skirts and underpants. The deputy then approached and tried to persuade her to walk to his patrol unit, but she refused. He grabbed her wrist. She resisted, but he put her in handcuffs. She was read the Miranda rights. She confessed to stealing the items, but became angry when told she was going to jail. She was also found in possession of meth. The officer collected evidence showing the woman was dropped off by a man who remained in a Chevrolet Silverado. When the woman was confronted in the parking lot, the man then drove away. The officer did obtain the man's license plate number.
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MAN AND JUVENILE: On Feb 28, Sgt. Lex Ogan was patrolling on Dowdy Road. He ran the tag on a Hyundai Elantra that was in front of him and it showed the car's registration was cancelled. As he followed, the car suddenly swerved into a tire company parking lot, where it pulled behind the building. The driver exited and fled into the woods. Eight other deputies responded to set up a perimeter in the area to cage the suspect. Ogan questioned the female passenger, who as it turns out lied about her age, as she was 16. And she identified the fleeing suspect as her mother's boyfriend, whom she identified as Jacob. That was another lie the officer discovered when he called the mother, who provided a different name for her boyfriend. Deputy Christopher Haag saw the suspect, wearing a white shirt, lying on the ground trying to hide in a thicket. Haag drew his gun and the suspect shouted, 'You got me.' The man, identified as a 31-year-old Toccoa resident, crawled on the ground to the deputy, who put him in handcuffs. Ogan read the Miranda rights two times to the juvenile girl, who admitted she lied because she was scared. Deputy Annessa Glenn searched the car and found a Home Depot container filled with $3,188 worth of tools. A review of the Home Depot security video showed the man stealing the items. The girl admitted she knew he had shoplifted the merchandise, which they planned to sell at a flea market in Bowman. A juvenile complaint was filed against the girl, while felony shoplifting charges were filed against the man, who also faces a charge of contributing the delinquency of a minor.
Oconee Blotter: Little mistakes lead numerous drivers to jail cells
GOOD MARIJUANA: On March 3, deputies were in the lower end of the county directing traffic away from thick smoke that covered the roadways due to a controlled burn in the forests. Cpl. Bradley Vaughn spotted a car on Greensboro Highway driven by a suspect wanted on a felony charge, but the man sped around him. A firefighter also attempted to stop the car, but the driver shouted, 'I'm not stopping because I have a warrant.' However, Vaughn later saw the suspect on Colham Ferry Road and made a traffic stop. The 20-year-old Watkinsville man was arrested. Subsequently, the officer found some marijuana in the suspect's car. The suspect offered that 'that's some good (expletive) right there. You need to smoke it.'
ALABAMA MARIJUANA: On March 1, Deputy Christopher Haag was patrolling on U.S. Highway 78 near Ruth Jackson Road, when he stopped a vehicle for going 70 mph in a 55-mph zone. He smelled marijuana and a search recovered some marijuana in the vehicle. The 58-year-old Athens woman explained she purchased the marijuana in Alabama earlier that day, then smoked a joint in Snellville, before being stopped for speeding. The officer also found some pills for high cholesterol and a muscle relaxer. The woman was charged with DUI, speeding and possession of marijuana.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Oconee Blotter: Suspect buys pot in Alabama, smokes in Snellville