From Hinesville Police Department reports.
False alarm: The Hinesville VA had to be evacuated Aug. 3 after someone pulled a fire alarm.
An officer who was sent to take the complaint met with a VA employee, who said the incident, which happened earlier that morning, led to the evacuation of all the patients for 45 minutes. “(She) advised several patients were exposed to possible heat stroke as they waited for the Hinesville Fire Department to clear the building and make sure it was safe for patients to re-enter,” the report said.
The fire department then was able to tell “the area of activation for the fire alarm originated from the designated smoke shelter located in the rear of the building.”
The woman then checked video, and “she observed a patient … who is a new patient, standing in the doorway of the designated smoking shelter. (He) is observed via video surveillance disengaging the door and pulling the fire alarm prior to existing the building. (He) was observed standing and watching all the patients and staff being evacuated from the building.”
The man then got on a motorcycle and left.
The complainant was given a case number.
DFACS referral: An officer was sent to Liberty Regional Medical Center on Aug. 8 to meet with a DFACS worker who said “(A pregnant woman in her third trimester) tested positive for methamphetamine, marijuana and cocaine when she came into the hospital for numbness in her feet. (The woman) also had (another physically disabled child) with her,” the report said. “(The woman) was also intoxicated on one of the substances she tested positive for. (She) drove herself to the hospital and her (car) is parked in the front parking lot.”
The officer found the car. “The vehicle had approximately one dozen air fresheners hanging from the rear view mirror. There was also another air freshener hanging from the air conditioner vent near the driver side window.”
One car door wasn’t completely shut and the officer smelled burnt marijuana coming from the car through the crack, and saw a plastic bag inside with a white powdery substance on its, but “due to the intoxication level (of the woman) consent to search the vehicle was not obtained.”
The officer was told by DFCS that the woman’s child was being placed with her husband’s sister, since he was military and “currently at training.”
Civil matter: An officer was sent to the Travelodge on Aug. 4 “in reference to the smell of something burning inside the room and a woman inside (who would not) open the door,” a report said. “When I arrived the fire department was already at the location and used a tool to force the door open. A firefighter told me (the woman) was standing on the other side of the door trying to hold the door shut when he forced the door open.”
The officer spoke to the woman, “who appeared to be disoriented,” he wrote. “I asked her why she would not open the door. She said she did not want to get kicked out of the room. The burning smell was from some food (she) was cooking inside the oven.”
The officer then talked to the owner, who said (the woman) had not rented the room and he did not know how she got inside the room.”
The woman insisted she rented the room and showed the officer a key for the Econolodge.
“She also said she had a hard time getting the door open and a cleaning lady opened the door for her today,” the report continued.
The officer then went to the Econolodge, and a clerk verified the woman had rented a room there.
“I went back to the Travelodge and told (the woman) she had made a mistake and went to the wrong motel and room. (She) paid (the Travelodge owner) $60 for use of his room and moved her belongings to the Econolodge.”
“The room at the Travelodge door was damaged by the firefighters when they entered the room,” the report ended. “I gave (the owner) the (case number) and left the area.”
Suspicious vehicle: On Aug. 8 an officer was sent to the Korean United Methodist Church because a “military flatbed” trailer was on the church parking lot and nobody knew why it was there. The officer found some information on the truck and called the point of contact, an Army NCO. The officer called the NCO, who said “his driver was supposed to deliver the flatbed to Conroe, Texas; however, per military policy his driver is only allowed to drive 11 hours at a time.”
The NCO then told the officer the man parked in the church parking lot to catch some sleep, and when he tried to start the truck the next morning it wouldn’t start, so the cab was towed. The NCO said the trailer would be picked up by a replacement truck by 4 p.m. that day.
Accidental injury: An officer was dispatched to an Elm Street address regarding a man who shot himself in the foot by accident while working on a Remington 1911 handgun. “He was checking to see if it would feed rounds properly and racked the slide,” the report said. “He is not sure if his finger as on the trigger but when he released the slide the round went off striking his left foot.”
The man was taken by EMS to Memorial Medical Center in Savannah. Police are investigating.
Theft: An officer was sent Aug. 3 to Walmart regarding a former employee who was spotted on camera stealing money from the cash register on two occasions. The first time, the man was seen cleaning his counter. As he did that he opened the register, took out two $100 bills, dropped them on the floor, picked them up and hid them under the counter, the report said, noting a few minutes later he was spotted picking the money up and walking away with it. The register came up $200 short that day, the complainant, a Walmart loss prevention specialist said. Two days later, video showed the man with a customer who gave him a phone case. The man “opened the register as if the customer was making a cash purchase and withdrew several $20s. (He) printed a receipt and wrapped the money in the receipt and placed the phone case and the money in a plastic bag, he then handed the bag to the customer.”
Video showed the man and the customer meeting in the parking lot minutes later and the two left. The drawer came up $200 short on that day, too.
Also that day, the man left work early and hasn’t come back since.
Domestic: An officer was sent Aug. 6 to a Hinesville address regarding a dispute between a husband and wife. “(The woman) told me her husband were arguing for over two hours because he told her he liked having sex with men over her and he did not want to be with her anymore. She said she got in his face and he grabbed her right arm to move her out of the way, which caused a scratch on her right wrist,” the report said, noting the scratch was noticeable.
The woman refused EMS, and “also said she threw a chair at (her husband) and knocked his stereo off of the shelf onto the floor. (He) in retaliation … went outside and hit the top of (her) Cadillac with a chain, which caused noticeable damage. (He) also said (she) cut her wrist with a knife, causing the injury to her wrist.”
No one was arrested after the woman said she’d go spend the night elsewhere. Both with given a case number.