Recent reports filed by Hinesville police officers include: 

Aug. 28

Battery: Two fights at Jennifer’s Big Apple came to police attention. The first happened about 1 a.m. One of the women said she thought an employee called another woman to report she was there and that the other woman arrived, jumped her and they continued to fight until security pulled them apart. She said the other woman was trying to leave when police arrived, but officers kept her at the scene. The other woman said they had lived together until recently and that she loaned her former roommate $100 because she said she had no food or gas for her car. When she saw her former roommate spending money at the bar, she confronted her and the fight ensued. She was unsure who threw the first punches. A witness, however, said she saw the second woman throw the first punches and that she was holding something at the time. The second woman was arrested and charged with battery.

The second fight was reported after 3 a.m. when the victim had gotten home. She said three other women jumped her as she was walking from her car to her residence on Ridgeland Drive. She said the other women had hit her at the bar earlier, but that she had not reported it then. She called 911 this time to convince the other women to leave. She said she did not know who they were.

 Aug. 27

Shoplifting: A woman was arrested for allegedly trying to steal a pregnancy test from Walmart. The stores’ loss prevention officer told the officer that she saw the woman take two boxes from the pharmacy area and later found the boxes empty in the restroom. So the prevention officer confronted the woman, who had at least one of the tests in her bag as she tried to leave the store. The woman was given a Sept. 16 court date and bonded out.

 Driving with a suspended/revoked license: A man drove to see his probation officer at HPD even though the man did not have a valid license. An officer said he saw a car in the parking lot with its windows down even though it was raining. So he went inside to tell the owner. The only person, whose car it could be, in the station was talking to a probation officer, who later told the HPD officer that the man’s license was suspended. The man denied he drove there, even though he pulled the keys out of his pocket, went and got in the car and drove off. The officer watched him and obtained a warrant for the man’s arrest.

 Possession of marijuana, wrong class of license (auto theft): A young woman was apparently joy riding and smoking pot with four guys in a stolen car. The reporting officer said he noticed a type of car that had earlier been reported stolen. He followed and eventually stopped the car. He was familiar with the driver because she had allegedly stolen her mother’s car earlier. There was also a warrant out for her because she was suspected of stealing the car the youths were in. Some suspected marijuana was found in the car. So the driver was cited for possession and for driving other youths while she had just an instructional permit. The officer also started processing the warrant. The young men were released.

 Aug. 26

Theft by deception, shoplifting: At Big Lots an officer was called in when an in-store investigation pointed toward an employee stealing money by keeping customers’ receipts and refunding the money to himself, as well as taking food and drinks. All told, nearly $600 was missing and the thefts had been going on since June. Instead of an arrest, however, a district loss prevention manager said the employee had admitted guilt, written a statement and promised to pay back the money, including making a $40 payment that day. The HPD officer filed the report, statement and receipts as evidence and gave the manager the information needed to retrieve it if charges were to be filed later.

 Theft by taking: Back at Walmart, a customer asked for cash back off his debt card while checking out. But he apparently got impatient waiting and walked away to tell an employee. While gone, another customer came up to the register, took his $80, checked herself out and left, according to the customer. Store security cooperated and the responding officer saw the woman take the money and check out. The report also said the woman could be tacked down because she used her state-issued electronic benefits transfer card to check out.