March 7: An ATM customer in Hinesville recovered and returned $500 to a previous customer who had driven off without the money. The customer who discovered the money called police, who later witnessed the money’s owner return to retrieve her funds.

March 9
• A Hinesville woman reported her rental car stolen after the friend she lent the car to did not return it by its due date. The woman told police she lent the car to a female soldier who was chaptering out of the Army. Police left messages for the soldier, whose home address is listed in Alabama.

March 11
• Police cited a Hinesville man with possession of marijuana after they conducted a routine traffic stop on Pineland Avenue. The officer spotted a passenger not wearing his seat belt, and during the stop the officer noted the driver and passenger had red, glassy eyes and requested a K-9 inspection.
The K-9 detected the presence of a narcotic and after a search of the vehicle and passengers, officers recovered a half-inch cigarette in the vehicle filled with what appeared to be marijuana, as well as a glass pipe containing a small amount of what appeared to be burnt marijuana in the driver’s pocket. The driver was cited for possession of less than one ounce and released on bond.

• Residents of a home on Fleming Road reported missing jewelry and entertainment equipment totalling more than $10,000 in an alleged burglary that occurred sometime between March 9 and March 11.

• A purse left behind at a Hinesville auto parts store was found to contain several identification and credit cards belonging to different people, as well as foreign currency. Police attempted to contact the owner of the purse but received no response.

March 12
• Authorities responded to an apartment fire at Liberty Manor Court. The resident said he smelled smoke and entered his bathroom to find a fan had fallen onto the toilet and was in flames. The resident said the fire was extinguished before he called 911.

• A Hinesville woman called 911 after smelling marijuana in her apartment and requested officer presence while she moved out, because she feared her roommate would retaliate against her for calling police. When the officer arrived on scene he detected an odor and was told by another resident of the apartment, a Fort Stewart soldier, that her guests had been smoking “spice” but the guests were gone. The resident said the guests were in her unit but that she did not know their names.

• Police recovered what appeared to be a small amount of marijuana at the carnival grounds set up on E.G. Miles Parkway. A carnival worker discovered the material in a clear plastic bag on the grounds.

• Emergency workers responded to an early-morning house fire on Sagewood Drive. The occupants already had exited the house when authorities arrived, and flames were seen coming from the back of the house. The residents reported their son had thrown a shirt on a space heater in his bedroom and when he saw it began to smoke, he threw it in the closet and left the room.

• An officer found a man on Highway 196 who claimed he was from Louisiana and was trying to return to the state. A search of his personal property turned up a medical information card and several phone numbers. A call placed to a number revealed the man suffers from Alzheimer’s and lives in the region. His wife answered the call and told the officer they had been actively looking for her husband at the time.

• A Brantley Drive resident reported several items missing after her home reportedly was burglarized. Among the items missing were office and entertainment equipment and household goods. Responding officers spoke with neighbors and found one who reported seeing a heavyset African-American woman wearing a wig knocking on doors in the neighborhood around the estimated time of the burglary.

March 14
• A home on Brett Drive reportedly was burglarized without signs of forced entry. The residents reported several entertainment and gaming items missing, and they also told officers a friend had notified them of possible suspects in the area. Detectives followed up on the tip.

March 15
• A Hinesville woman reportedly lost $16,400 to an online auto sales scam using Habitat For Humanity and autotrader.com. The woman said she saw an ad on the auto sales website for a car and was then directed to a site with the nonprofit’s name and the car listed as a donation. After exchanging e-mails with the seller, the woman wired money to a business listed as Trusted Auto Deals in New York state, but she never received the car. A Habitat representative told officers the scam is noted on its legitimate site.

• School officials at Joseph Martin Elementary school reported a student brought a pellet gun on campus. Officials declined to bring charges and said the school will bring disciplinary action instead.