Recent reports filed with the Hinesville Police Department include:

Dec. 1
Possession of cocaine, fleeing an officer, obstruction, DUI, reckless driving, driving without license, theft by receiving stolen property — An officer was in the parking lot of America’s Best Value Inn about 2 a.m. when a car came around from the back of the motel, speeding and narrowly missing the officer’s cruiser. The officer started to follow as the car raced out of the parking lot, left onto Highway 84. The officer couldn’t get a radar reading, but estimated the car was going at least 65 mph as it raced into Hinesville. The officer called in others and started to catch up as the car neared Fraser Drive, where the driver turned short and jumped a curb, blowing out a tire. The driver stopped after the officer got behind his car on Fraser, but as the officer walked up to the car,  the driver took off again, turning onto a series of small, residential streets in the area. He finally stopped on Rogers Street as other officers swarmed the area. However, he jumped out of the car and started running, eluding officers for a time as he went through yards and jumped fences. He was finally caught in the woods behind Rodeo Mexican Restaurant by a Walthourville officer. As officers were processing the suspect, a plastic bottle with bags of suspected cocaine was found in a pocket. He was later taken to Liberty County Jail. On further investigation, the reporting officer said it was discovered the car the suspect was driving had been reported stolen in Swainsboro the day before.

Theft by taking — A woman reported that she had taken some pain killers to an Oakview Street resident who has been diagnosed with dementia. She left and returned a short time later to find the resident’s daughter leaving with the medicine bottle and empty sack from the pharmacy. The daughter said it was the wrong medicine and she was taking it back to the pharmacy. Upon checking with the pharmacist, he said the daughter had brought in the bottle, but that it was full of a brand of aspirin the pharmacy doesn’t carry. The report does not say whether the pharmacy replaced the missing oxycodone. It does say another incident with medicine last spring made the woman, who is also the resident’s daughter, suspicious. The report does not explain the women’s relationship. The reporting daughter said the other woman had been living with her father but that she believed the other daughter was exploiting her father. The officer provided a case number and explained how to get someone evicted.

Nov. 30
Theft or lost property — A Kiln Lane resident reported that on Saturday, her son had placed his Dell laptop on a car in their driveway as he packed to return to college. He pulled away and shortly remembered he had forgotten the computer. But, when he returned, the computer was gone. The complainant said they needed a police report for an insurance claim.

Theft by taking — A man reported that he had bought a $683 money order Saturday and put it under an armrest in the backseat of his car. Monday, he realized it was missing. He told the officer that one person had been in the back seat, but he did not see her take the money. Warrant procedures were explained to the complainant.

Criminal damage to property — America’s Best Value Inn employees reported damage in one of the rooms. That damage included a broken lamp and parts of a mini refrigerator, as well as several holes in the drywall and plastic shower liner. The employees were able to provide the name of the last occupant, who had checked out that morning, but nothing on how to locate him. The officer, however, was able to find the suspect in criminal records since he had been arrested for public drunkenness in November and had an upcoming court date.

Nov. 28
Larceny, free text — The reporting officer had been called to HPD to talk with a woman about an ongoing drug investigation. The report did not say why the woman was being questioned, or how she got there. The report said she would not discuss the investigation, but during the three-hour interview, she said she had stolen her mother’s debit card so she could rent a motel room to keep herself and her family safe from the “Mexican mafia” from Jesup. Upon investigating further, the officer heard that the woman was likely an addict who had taken a type of meth that could make her paranoid, and from her mother that she, indeed, was missing her bank card. Her mother said she didn’t realize it was missing until the officer told her. The mother said she wanted to press charges.