Enraged employee harms coworker
On April 10, law enforcement was dispatched to the Baldwin County Recreation Department, at 59 Highway 22 West, regarding a physical altercation. Upon arrival, an officer made contact with Jason Vassar at the aquatic center, which is currently under construction. Vassar stated that a Hispanic male, identified as Jafhet Ablmelet Linares Cardona, asked to borrow a drill to continue his work. Vassar told Cardona no, stating it was Cardona’s responsibility to come prepared for work and Cardona reportedly became upset and repeatedly used racial slurs against him.
Vassar stated the situation escalated verbally before Cardona pushed him, leading to a physical altercation. According to Vassar, Cardona used a metal speed square, a tool commonly used in construction to ensure right angles, to strike him in the face multiple times. As Vassar tried to walk away, Cardona grabbed him by the back of his sweatshirt and began punching him in the side of the face. The officer observed a laceration on the bridge of Vassar’s nose, approximately half an inch from his left eye, and another laceration on the left side of his chin. These injuries were consistent with being struck by the corner of the tool described. Vassar also had red marks on his face, neck, and arms.
After Cardona removed his tool belt, he was placed under arrest and secured in the back of a patrol vehicle. Cardona admitted to asking Vassar for a drill bit because his had broken and admitted to using the racial slur as Vassar described. Cardona stated that Vassar began yelling, which led him to push Vassar. Cardona also admitted to grabbing Vassar by the collar of his shirt and punching him. A supervisor at the job site stated that he did not witness the initial altercation but did observe Cardona grabbing Vassar and punching him.
Employees of Georgia Power reported that Cardona initiated physical contact with Vassar in a provoking manner, while Vassar was attempting to separate himself from the altercation. Multiple witnesses confirmed that Vassar was attempting to defend himself from Cardona. Vassar declined Emergency Medical Services at the scene, despite experiencing jaw pain. He opted to have a family member take him to the hospital for evaluation. A warrant for aggravated assault was sworn against Cardona.
Pair steal tequila from The Whiskey Tunnel
On April 12, law enforcement met with Gautam Arora at The Whiskey Tunnel, at 101 Kings Rd., in reference to a theft. Arora stated a male entered the store and took a bottle of Lunazul tequila off of the shelf by the register and walked to the wine cooler. The male gave the bottle to a female who then put it in her purse. The male and female exited the store without paying for the tequila, and left the area in a gray Nissan Altima.
An officer ran the vehicle’s tag and identified the registered owner as Ricari Reid. Surveillance video was able to confirm that the male in the video was Reid and corroborated the story. One state warrant was secured on Reid for theft by shoplifting. If law enforcement can identify the female, they will secure a warrant on her for the same offense.
Male harms bouncer at tavern
On April 13, law enforcement responded to the Greene Street Pool Tavern, 120 W. Greene St., in reference to an unruly crowd. The bouncer, Joshua Thompson, stated he was assaulted after he denied a group of people entry into the bar.
Thompson stated there was a mixture of five to six men and women who tried to push their way into the bar. Only one person showed identification, which led Thompson to stop the others from entering. Thompson stated the crowd already had wristbands from another business and acted like they were entitled to access to the pool hall. After refusing the group access, one of the males became irate and attacked him. Thompson stated he was able to fend off the attack before the group fled the location in the direction of Hancock Street. Thompson’s neck and chest area were red with several distinct markings where fingers had scratched his skin.
Thompson’s shirt was also ripped at the neck and hung loose. Thompson declined Emergency Medical Services. The offender was described as being a black male in his 30s. Security footage was not available at the time due to the manager not being present. The nearby area was canvassed but due to the crowded downtown streets, an offender was unable to be located.
Unknown offender steals pallets On April 14, an officer was dispatched to Tractor Supply, at 1859 N. Columbia St., in reference to a reported theft. The store manager advised that on April 13 a 2020-22 white or gray Ford F-350 pulling a black trailer arrived at the store’s loading dock. The vehicle’s occupants loaded 200 used pallets onto the trailer. The store receives $3 credit per pallet from a company that repurchases them and confirmed the suspect did not have permission to remove the pallets. He further advised that if the suspect is identified, he would like the individual to speak with him directly, at which point he will determine whether to pursue charges. While on scene, the manager provided a still image of the suspect’s vehicle. A FLOCK camera check was conducted for 36 hours in an effort to identify the vehicle, with negative results at the time of the report.