Man caught with methamphetamine
While observing traffic on Vinson Highway April 18, an officer noticed a white SUV being driven by a male who was not wearing his seatbelt. As the officer pulled out behind the vehicle, the driver made a left turn onto Coombs Avenue and the officer noticed that the vehicle did not have functioning brake lights.
The officer conducted a traffic stop on Swint Avenue and identified the driver as Raheem Ross.
While speaking with Ross, they could smell the odor of marijuana coming from within the vehicle. Ross stated he possibly had a blunt and that he had smoked marijuana prior to the interaction. The officer informed Ross that they were going to conduct a probable cause search of the vehicle, due to the odor of marijuana and his admission of having marijuana in the vehicle.
Ross reportedly became frustrated and began to say he did not understand. When asked, Ross stated the marijuana was in his pocket and began to check his pockets.
Ross then went through the center console area, located a marijuana “roach”, and attempted to hand it to the officer.
Ross was asked to step out of the vehicle and was handcuffed. As Ross began walking away from the vehicle, the officer noticed two small bags tucked into the cracked seam of the driver’s seat.
Ross was informed of his Miranda rights and stated he did not wish to speak.
A deputy arrived to assist and they removed two small bags, one containing a green leafy substance, suspected marijuana, and one with a crystalline substance, suspected methamphetamine, from the tear in the driver’s seat. Ross was placed under arrest for possession of methamphetamine and issued a warning for the seatbelt and brake lights. A relative of Ross retrieved the vehicle.
Unknown motorcyclist crashes on Kings Road
On April 18, law enforcement was dispatched to 402 Kings Rd. in response to a motorcycle that had struck a culvert. Upon arrival, the officer observed a wrecked motorcycle abandoned in a ditch.
The property owner requested a report due to damage to his culvert.
The complainant, Lester Rowland, stated that he had been outside when he heard a motorcycle pass by, followed by the sound of a crash. Rowland said he went to check on the situation and found the wrecked motorcycle but did not see anyone around. Law enforcement searched the surrounding area but did not find any sign of an ejected driver.
As of the time of the report, the driver of the motorcycle had not been identified. The motorcycle was turned over to Central Georgia Towing.
Male tries to pass off cocaine
On April 19, while patrolling Allen Memorial Drive, an officer ran a Georgia tag displayed on a 2024 Jeep Compass.
GCIC returned a report of no valid insurance and suspended vehicle registration. They initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle as it pulled into the parking lot of Rod’s Stop and Shop, at 338 Allen Memorial Dr. The driver was identified as Demeatrious Harden and the passenger as Sha’derricka Price. The officer informed Harden and Price that they were being stopped for no insurance and a suspended tag.
The officer offered to Harden that if he wanted to, he could step back to the patrol car and be shown that the registration was suspended. As the officer stood next to Harden, they could smell the odor of marijuana.
When asked, Harden admitted to having smoked marijuana earlier in the morning, prior to driving. Harden stated that there was nothing illegal in the vehicle and consented to a search of the vehicle. When asked, Price admitted to having a small bag of marijuana between her seat and the center console. The officer asked Price to step out of the vehicle and walk to the rear to speak with them. As Price exited the vehicle, Harden went to the passenger seat and opened the glove box, grabbed an object, and placed it in his hoodie pocket. Harden then walked over to a white car and handed the object to the male who was standing by the driver’s door of the white vehicle.
The officer instructed Harden to walk back toward the patrol car and made contact with the male as he attempted to drive away. When asked what he was handed, the man was visibly nervous and held up a bottle of Coke and then grabbed a white cup of coffee. The officer instructed the male to be honest and hand him what Harden had given him, assuring him that he would be free to go and not go to jail for Harden. The male eventually grabbed a white pill bottle-style container and handed it over, saying he did not know what it was. Upon opening the container, the officer “immediately recognized the contents as crack cocaine.” Price was able to purchase insurance, and with Harden’s permission, the vehicle was released to her. A criminal warrant was secured for possession of cocaine against Harden.
Passenger caught with methamphetamine
On April 20, while patrolling Vinson Highway at the intersection of South Wayne Street, an officer observed a black sedan make a right turn on a red light without coming to a complete stop beforehand. They initiated a traffic stop at the intersection of South Wayne Street and West Baldwin Street.
The driver, identified as Christopher Davis, did not have his driver’s license on his person and had a passenger, Samantha Jones, in the car. While waiting for a GCIC return on Davis’ driver’s license status, the officer asked him if there was anything illegal in the vehicle and if he would consent to a search. Davis stated there was nothing in the vehicle and consented to a search. When asked if she had anything the officer needed to be aware of, Jones admitted to having a glass pipe, commonly used to inhale narcotics, in her bag. As she passed her purse, she also stated that she might have a “sack of dope” in the bag.
During a probable cause search of the vehicle, the officer located a bag containing a crystalline substance, suspected to be methamphetamine, in Jones’s purse along with the glass pipe. No additional contraband was found. After dispatch advised that Davis’ driver’s license had returned as valid, he was released.
Jones was charged with VGCSA Possession of methamphetamine.
Unknown subject shoplifts clothes On April 20, store personnel at Tractor Supply, at 1850 N.
Columbia St., reported a shoplifting. A male subject wearing a white shirt, khaki pants, and camouflage hat entered the location. The store clerk advised the male subject walked into the clothing section of the store and looked around before grabbing a bag and placing merchandise inside. The clerk then stated the male subject exited the location and sounded an alarm. The subject ran to a blueish gray Toyota Tundra or Tacoma. The clerk said the subject entered the vehicle and backed up traveling east in the parking lot at a high rate of speed towards North Columbia Street. The clerk provided a copy of the security camera footage and a photograph of the subject when he exited the store. The footage corroborated her story. Footage also showed the subject back up at a high rate of speed traveling east towards North Columbia Street.
The subject then backed into Tropical Smoothie Café’s driveway, 1860 North Columbia Street, and left the location. As of the newspaper’s deadline, an attempt to gather security camera footage from Bojangles and Tropical Smoothie Café was to be made.