Friday, January 10, 2014
Three men were arrested after drawing attention of a combined force of law enforcement officers beginning a three-night crime sweep Thursday.
Participants in the operation “Total Focus” watched the three men, all convicted felons, "study two convenience stores before confronting them at a third store at Waters Avenue and Victory Drive."
After capturing one of the men in a foot chase, officers found marijuana, gloves and a stolen firearm. The arrests were among several performed by the task force Thursday, including another man found with a stolen pistol in a later case.
“This was a text book example of police work and cooperative efforts between law enforcement agencies,” said Maj. Richard Zapal, operation commander. “Our goal was to take the fight to those who would commit the crime and it couldn’t get any better than this. We will continue to investigate to determine if we interrupted crimes in the planning stages or if we just took three convicted felons off the street. Either way we were successful.”
Robert Douglas Morgan, 29, of the 1300 block of East 34th Street, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, obstruction and theft by receiving. Lawrence Sheppard Jr., 41, of, the 600 block of West 31st Street, was charged with operating a vehicle without a license plate and possession of marijuana. And Joseph Maurice Hamilton Jr., 40, of a Berwick Lakes Boulevard address in Pooler, was charged with possession of marijuana.
A captain participating in the operation of more than 75 officers first noticed the blue 1994 Oldsmobile 88 driven by Sheppard at a convenience store near LaRoche and Delesseps avenues when one man walked to the front of the store and another walked to the back.
Officers followed the car to another area where similar activities were observed and then to the third store where they surrounded the car. Morgan ran across the intersection to a church parking lot where a pursuing officer heard him drop and item later identified as a stolen handgun and secured him after he fell.
About 2:10 a.m. this morning, officers noticed Kareem Byrd enter a convenience store near Waters and Derenne avenues smelling of marijuana. When they questioned him, they found marijuana, drug-related objects and a stolen pistol in his vehicle. He was charged with traffic offenses, possession of marijuana, theft by receiving stolen property and possession of drug-related objects.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
A Savannah man remains under guard at a hospital after "crashing a stolen car in an attempt to avoid a police officer who was not pursuing him Wednesday morning," police say.
Ronald Antwan Grady, 30, of the 1400 block of East 36th Street was transported to Memorial University Medical Center where he was listed in stable condition following surgery after the 10:28 a.m. crash at Augusta Avenue and Millen Street.
Officers had saturated west Savannah searching for him "after he ran from the stolen red Ford Focus he had driven through the intersection trying to avoid a traffic officer in the area."
Officers said Grady was traveling eastbound on Augusta Avenue at a high rate of speed when he lost control of the Ford and struck a utility pole. The impact caused the car to spin into a tree and another pole and came to rest on the driver’s door side.
Grady attempted to flee "but residents in the area directed another responding officer to a house where he found Grady on the front porch."
The car had been reported stolen from the grounds of a business in the 600 block of West 51st Street Tuesday after an employee had left the keys in the ignition. It was destroyed in the crash.
Grady was released from prison Nov. 4, 2013, after serving a 10-year sentence for burglary, theft, aggravated assault and kidnapping in 2003.
A Crimestoppers tip helped detectives arrest a man believed responsible for burglarizing a computer store on the 3000 block of Skidaway Road last November.
John Fitzgerald Frazier, 49, of the 2300 block of Shell Road, was taken into custody Wednesday at the Islands Precinct where he was brought in for questioning by detectives. Savannah/Chatham Metro Police were made aware of Frazier’s location through Crimestoppers.
On Nov. 11, police responded to reports of an open door at the east Savannah store. Officers found the glass entry door shattered. Surveillance footage indicated that at 9 p.m. the night before, a single suspect fitting Fitzgerald’s description entered the store by force. Two computers were reported stolen.
Fitzgerald is charged with second degree burglary.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Tybee Island has been provided a 150-foot wind turbine for free and installation of that turbine at the water treatment plant is up for City Council approval. The meeting will provide information to the public and the City Council regarding wind energy and the turbine specifications. The City Council must approve the installation costs of the free turbine. The turbine is rated at 50 kilowatts and could power the equivalent of 17 average homes annually.
The meeting is free and open to the public and happens Mon., Jan. 13, from 6:30 — 8:30 p.m. at Tybee Island City Hall, 403 Butler Ave.
Habitat ReStore Savannah, provider of used home improvement and building supplies, will offer free, bi-weekly, in-store workshops.
All workshops are held at the Habitat ReStore Savannah at 1900 E. Victory Drive.
“Resolving to learn new skills? Fix up that house of yours? Then, these workshops help you improve your DIY skills,” explained ReStore Manager Charles Austin. “Our workshops are popular with everyone from the beginner to the more experienced home improvement aficionado.”
For more information, contact Charles Austin, ReStore Manager, at 912.655.3416.
Media Note: The workshop schedule is listed below.
ReStore How-To-Workshops
Sat., Feb. 1 Installing Crown Molding
Sat., Feb. 15 Installing a Toilet
Sat., Mar. 1 Using Caulking
Sat., Mar. 15 Painting Interior Walls
Sat., Apr. 5 Installing a Dishwasher
Sat., Apr. 19 Repairing a Leaking Toilet Tank
Sat., May 3 Installing a Bath Fan
Sat., May 17 Installing a Doorbell
Sat., June 7 Installing a Ceiling Fan
Sat., June 21 Installing a Window Air Conditioner
Sat., July 12 Installing a Kitchen Faucet
Sat., July 26 Installing Ceramic Tile
Monday, January 6, 2014
Detectives have a suspect in custody and victim in a hospital but continue to sort out the details of a shooting that left one man in critical condition Sunday afternoon.
Eugene Mitchell, 23, of the 8500 block of Waters Avenue, was transported to Memorial University Medical Center by a friend after the 2:17 p.m. shooting on the first block of Thackery Place.
Alfonso Warner, 28, was arrested by Islands Precinct patrol officers "who stopped the golf Dodge Charger he had driven away from the scene," police says. He has been charged with aggravated assault.
Officers of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department had responded to the area for a shots fired call when they were told a gunshot victim had arrived at the hospital by private vehicle.
"Residents flagged down arriving officers to point out the crime scene," police says. "The two men are known to each other and were involved in a confrontation when the shooting occurred."
Detectives continue to investigate. Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers at (912) 234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637) using the keyword CSTOP2020. Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward. A confidential Tip Line also is open directly to investigators at (912) 525-3124.
Friday, January 3, 2014
Detectives have identified and charged a 19-year-old Savannah man with three felonies "after shooting at occupants of a car in east Savannah on Christmas night," police say.
Devonte Shyheem Green of the 1000 block of Wolf Street has been charged with aggravated assault, theft by receiving stolen property and criminal use of an article with altered ID.
Police patrol officers had responded to the 3G convenience store on the 700 block of Wheaton Street about 7:47 p.m. after witnesses reported an occupant of one car shooting at another car parked near the gas pumps.
Detectives determined that "Green and a female were parked near the pumps when a black 2006 Saturn Ion carrying several people drove up and the female driver went into the store. Green then fired multiple shots into the Saturn on the passenger’s side before driving away in a tan Toyota."
The Toyota was found soon after on East Gwinnet Street just east of Waters Avenue where police had responded to another shots fired call the same night.
Green was charged "after he was identified as the shooter and a search of his residence yielded two semi-automatic pistols, including one that had been reported stolen and on which the serial number had been partially altered."
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Crimestoppers at (912) 234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637) using the keyword CSTOP2020. Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.
An 18-year-old Savannah woman is listed in stable condition after walking into the path of a car on White Bluff Road Thursday night.
Melody Johnson of Hawthorne Street was transported to Memorial University Medical Center about 7:30 p.m. after she was struck by the car between Abercorn Street and Mall Way.
"She was crossing White Bluff walking east outside of the cross walk in dark clothing when she was struck by a black Volkswagen GTI being driven northbound by a 28-year-old Savannah man," police say.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
The Savannah Tire Hockey Classic is back for its 16th year, and tickets are on sale now. Hosted by the Savannah Sports Council, the collegiate ice hockey event happens January 16 — 18 at the Savannah Civic Center.
Tix are $10 for mezzanine seats and $14 for loge seats on Thursday, $12 and $16 on Friday, and $14 and $18 on Saturday with $2 off discounts available with a military or college ID.
Children attend free on Thursday night during Kids Night and families receive discounted ticket packages for Friday and Saturday nights.
The schedule is as follows:
Thursday, January 16:
Citadel vs. University of South Carolina at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, January 17:
Georgia Tech vs. Florida State University at 6 p.m.
University of Georgia vs. University of Florida at 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, January 18:
University of Florida vs. Florida State University at 5:30 p.m.
Georgia Tech vs. University of Georgia at 8:30 p.m.
To purchase tickets, call the Savannah Civic Center box office at 912.651.6556. To purchase tickets online, visit SavannahTireHockeyClassic.com.
