Recent reports filed with the Hinesville Police Department include:

Oct. 23
• Domestic dispute/simple battery: Officers responded to a domestic dispute on Tomcat Trail. A couple had been involved in an altercation over the identity of the father of the pregnant woman’s child. The woman said that the argument started when she told the man she needed stamps, and the man accused her of writing letters to another man. She said he then pushed her onto the bed and restrained her wrists, but she scratched at him to break free.
The man said the argument started when he asked who the child’s father is — him or the man she was writing a letter to. He said she started hitting him, and he restrained her to stop the assault. The officers did observe scratch marks on the man’s neck and chest. The man packed some belongings and left the residence.
• Disturbance: Officials at the Liberty County Recreation Department reported a verbal dispute at a football game. The complainant said a coach got irritated with a referee over a call made on the field, and a verbal altercation ensued.
Recreation department officials told the coach that he had to leave the park because to his conduct, but the coach refused to leave until authorities arrived. HPD informed the coach that it was the recreation department officials’ decision to ban him from the property, and he would have to speak with the LCRD board of directors to resolve the issue. Police escorted the coach from the grounds, and he left with no further issues.
• Possession of marijuana: An officer was patrolling the parking lot of McDonald’s on E.G. Miles Parkway when he smelled marijuana coming from a fenced-in area used by McDonald’s employees on breaks. When the officer rounded the corner, he saw a McDonald’s employee sitting on the bench smoking a cigarette, while a mostly smoked marijuana cigarette rested on the bench between her legs.
As the officer approached her, the employee reached into her left pocket. The officer grabbed her wrist because he was unsure of what she was reaching for. After handcuffing and detaining her, he asked if she had marijuana in her pocket, and she said yes. The woman was arrested and her manager at McDonald’s was informed of the incident.
Oct. 24
• Suspicious activity: Officers responded to call of alleged identity theft. The complainant reported that after the recent purchase of a vehicle, the dealer called and informed him that he would be receiving a higher interest rate due to his credit score dropping significantly.
The complainant obtained a credit report and noticed a charge off (bankruptcy filing) on one of the reports, stemming from an auto loan from USAA that he did not take out. He contacted USAA and was informed that his name was not associated with that account; however, the loan was under the name of a previous employee of the complainant, who was terminated roughly a year prior.
The complainant contacted the former employee, who told him she had no idea what he was talking about. After speaking with the former employee’s bankruptcy attorney, the complainant was informed that all of the information, including his name, was provided by the former employee.

Oct. 25
• Suspicious acts: An officer was dispatched to 268 Airport Road after Long County 911 advised HPD that they received a call from a person claiming to have killed someone at the location. HPD did not have any record of the address, and responding officers were unable to locate any such address. Officers also checked the buildings along Airport Road but did not find any signs of criminal activity. The matter is under investigation by the Long County Sheriff’s Office.
• Public drunk: An officer working security at the YMCA Fall Festival was approached by two women complaining of a man staggering around and acting suspicious around kids. The officer found man at a food vendor and watched as he approached a woman who was working one of the games.
As the officer approached, he heard the man say, “Why don’t you give me some of that?” to the woman. The officer then escorted the man to the sidewalk and asked him how he got to the festival. The officer stated the man was heavily intoxicated. The officer called for assistance as the man grew more belligerent and tried to get people’s attention. The man was escorted away from the festival and cited for public drunkenness.

Oct. 28
• Theft by deception: A Hinesville woman reported that she purchased a Ford F-150 on Craigslist.com after communicating via text message with someone claiming to be the seller’s brother. The complainant said she was given an email address through which the seller could be contacted. She also was told that the sale was supported by ebay.com. The complainant said she sent a payment of $2,500 through Moneygram to the supposed ebay.com agent in charge of selling the truck. The Moneygram was received in Maine; however, the truck was not shipped. The complainant was told that she would have to pay an additional $1,400 in insurance fees before the truck could be shipped. She said she emailed the seller, stating that she would not pay the fee since it had not been discussed prior to the sale, and that she wanted a full refund. The seller replied that nothing could be done until the insurance was paid. The matter is under investigation.