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Fire destroys Hinesville produce store
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Firefighters finish putting out a fire that destroyed R&J Produce on E.G. Miles Parkway. - photo by Photo by Lewis Levine

R&J Produce market in Hinesville was destroyed by a fire early Monday.

Deputy Fire Chief Kris Johansen said the fire was contained to the produce store, which is connected to Ducks Pawn shop at 1137 E.G. Miles Parkway. The pawn shop sustained smoke damage.

Hinesville fire Capt. Robert Kitchings said fire crews responded to R&J Produce at 4:15 a.m. and were able to get the fire under control within minutes.

“When they initially pulled up, there was fire blowing out of the front windows and front doors,” he said, adding that firefighters were concerned about the blaze spreading to neighboring businesses.

It could have been worse. There were propane tanks outside the property, “and they actually found a couple more inside that were off-gassing as they made entry, so they were able to cool those down as well as fight fire at the same time,” Kitchings said.

He added that the deputy fire marshal is investigating, but the probe had to be halted because it appeared the building’s structural integrity was compromised. Crews worked to shore up the building so the investigation can continue.

Rick Schroeder, who has owned R&J Produce at the E.G. Miles Parkway location since September 2005, vowed that his business would make a comeback.

“I just can’t believe it, but we’re going to start over again,” a stunned Schroeder said.

“We should be back. We’re going to start selling watermelons and probably tomatoes out Monday from the tent. That’s when we can start,” he said, his voice breaking.

Kitchings has been a customer.

“I used to come here and buy boiled peanuts quite a bit,” the fire captain said. “He’s been in business for about 11 years now, so he knows quite a few people, he’s done business with quite a few people. He’s actually a supplier for a local restaurant around here.

“This is one of those things where we have our local businesses that want to keep business local, keep stuff in town,” Kitchings continued. “And so not only is it going to affect him, but also other businesses in the area.”

Nelson Lopez, owner of the popular restaurant El Coqui, in Central Station Plaza on Veterans Parkway, said Tuesday that the loss of R&J Produce will have an impact on his business.

“It was a one-stop shop,” he said. “I would purchase soft drinks such as Malta, Cola Champagne — which is not readily available in this area. The store also carried unique vegetables and roots used here and in the Hispanic community. We’re having to make arrangements to go to Jacksonville and other areas to buy what we need.”

When asked about community support for R&J Produce, Schroeder said, “It means a lot, makes you want to cry sometimes.”

Overcome with emotion, he broke down.

Units from both fire stations in Hinesville as well as Liberty County Station 15, Walthourville and Fort Stewart firefighters responded to the fire. No injuries were reported.

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HPD Reports
crime scene

From Hinesville Police Department reports. Editor’s note: Due to computer issues at the city, reports have been unavailable in recent weeks. They are back. Our thanks to the HPD clerks who provide them. We’re catching up as quickly as possible.

Burglary, etc: A man called 911 on Feb. 27 because he was watching his White Circle home getting burglarized. The man said his alarm system had an app that showed live video on his phone, and he was “viewing three males inside his residence,” as he talked to 911.
Police responded, caught two of them inside the house and found the third guy “hiding behind a tree,” the report said.
Detectives are investigating.

Public indecency: An officer was sent to Lowes around 4:30 p.m. March 12 in reference to a disturbance involving a man and a woman.
The woman, a Lowe’s employee, said she had just got back from her lunch break when she saw the man “looking around at items on a shelf.”
The woman said she asked him if he needed help finding anything and he held up something, then said “I have found everything I need,” the report said. “(he) then placed his arms around (the employee) to hug her and then kissed (her) neck. (She) then moved away from (him) and told him to have a nice day and attempted to walk away from (the man). (He) then began to follow (her), stating ‘I would lick you up and down’ and ‘you better hide in an office.’ (She) then spoke with manager and called 911.’”
The man told police he thought he recognized the woman “and stated to me that he had previously had a relationship with her approximately two years ago. (He) was unable to recall (her) name while on scene.”
The woman told police “she has never seen, nor spoken to (the man) before today.”
The woman was given a case number and told what to do. The man was allowed to leave.

Indecent exposure: A Berkshire Terrace man reported he went outside his house around 6:40 a.m. and “observed a man who appeared to be intoxicated, peeing on his truck and trailer.”
The complainant said the man “fully exposed his penis while he was peeing. When (complainant) asked him to stop the man told him to ‘shut the (bleep) up.’ (Complainant) advised the man he would call police. (Complainant) advised his young son was standing outside during the incident. He said the man got into a 1996 black Buick and drove away, almost hitting cars that were parked in the driveway.”
The complainant said he did not want to press charges, “he said he wanted to report the incident because the man did not stop peeing when he asked him too.”
The complainant said he’d seen the man before “come and go” from a nearby apartment. The officer met with the resident of that apartment, who said the man was a cousin and did not pee on the complainant’s trailer.

Identity theft: A man went to HPD on March 21 to report that when he went to get a driver’s history for a commercial driver’s license, he found several citations on the history that weren’t his. “(He) stated he noticed someone was issued four citations in Arkansas and one citation in Jacksonville, Florida,” and during the time the Arkansas tickets were written he was in locked up in Georgia.
“(He) advised that he was not incarcerated when the citation in Jacksonville, Florida was issued but he was not in Florida at the time. (He) was unable to leave the state of Georgia due to being on felony probation.”
It gets worse.
“(He) told me that he attempted to file his income taxes for the first time ever and he was rejected due to owing the IRS money, $20,000. (He) stated he spoke to a representative for the IRS and he was informed that taxes were filed in his name in 2014 and the return was $1,3000. (He) advised he did not file taxes in 2013 and he was still incarcerated at the time.”
The man then told the officer he thinks his brother “got the citations and filed income taxes using his information. (He) believed his brother obtained his Social Security number and other demographics when he was incarcerated.”
The man said he talked to his brother, who said he paid all the tickets. “(His) brother also told him on a different occasion that he knew his date of birth and (SSN). (He) advised he told his brother that it was not OK to use his name due to him getting his life together and attempting to drive commercial vehicles.”
The guy said he didn’t have his brother’s address. He chose to fill out an identity theft packet.

Simple battery, theft by taking: An officer was sent around 2 a.m. March 20 to the Baymont Inn regarding a disturbance. There, a woman said she was being “grabbed and pulled” by a man when she told him to leave her motel room. She said they began arguing when he accused her of stealing $100.
The man claimed he met the woman on a dating website and when they “started having sex she informed him that it would cost $100.” He told her he wasn’t going to pay her, “got dressed and realized the five $20s in his pants pocket were missing. He accused (her) of stealing his money.”
The officer asked the woman if she stole the man’s money and she replied, “No, I work hard for my money.”
Both were given a case number and told how to get a warrant.

Robbery: A woman called HPD March 15 to report she was home when her estranged husband came to her apartment “and asked her to come outside to talk to him,” a report said.
“She stated that she stepped outside thinking that he was going to be civil, though she recently filed for divorce from him. As she stepped outside, he grabbed her necklace off her neck and then ran down the stairwell and out to the parking lot.”
The woman said he stood by his vehicle a minute, then drove off as police arrived. Officers checked the area but had no luck finding the man.

Burglary: Police were sent to a Malibu Drive address on March 13 regarding missing firearms and ransacked rooms. The homeowners were at work and got home to find handguns and rifles missing, as well as video games.
It appeared the home may have been broken into through the attic. Police found footprints and other evidence, and the case is under investigation.

Recovered stolen trailer: A U-Haul employee was inventorying equipment on March 14 when she discovered a trailer that had been reported stolen in Florida on Dec. 26. “She stated someone had backed the trailer into a parking stall along with the other trailers sometime during the night.”

Theft: In February, the maintenance man at Cypress Bend Mobile Home Park reported that “22 air conditioning unit disconnect boxes were stolen from various lots… He stated he began receiving calls from people that their air conditioning units were not working.”
The boxes contain small pieces of copper. He didn’t know who swiped them, but valued the total at about $341.

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