Missing traps
A Ridgeville man reported that someone broke into a storage bin on his business’s property by cutting the lock on the side door of one of the enclosed trailers. The responding officer noted that the side door to the trailer was open and the complainant climbed up to look at the inventory and found several crab traps missing. The complainant also noted that the rear doors to the trailer were open and he said he distinctly remembered shutting and padlocking them the last time he was at the site.
The complainant and an officer followed what appeared to be separate shoe prints from the gate, across the road into a side trail that went along a soybean field, then the tracks appeared to stop at what appeared to be truck tire tracks.
The officer was also able to lift a latent fingerprint from the trailer, which was taken into evidence.
All told, the complainant said some 20 crab traps worth about $1,000 are missing from the trailer.
Dirty trick
A Summerville woman reported that someone entered her daughter’s vehicle while it was parked in the driveway of their Reneau Boulevard residence, stole her daughter’s wallet, and vandalized the front seat by smearing chewing tobacco juice all over the seat.
The wallet and contents were valued at about $10; the subject(s) did $100 damage to the seat.
While the responding officer was able to take a sample of the tobacco for DNA testing, he was unable to dust for fingerprints because at the time of day the officer was on-scene the vehicle was still wet from dew. Later when he came back to try again, he found the daughter had taken the car to get it detailed.
Phony check
The manager of a restaurant in Azalea Square called police after three black female subjects came into the restaurant to pick up a to go order and paid for it with a travelers check. The next day, the manager made a deposit to the bank; the day after, the bank called to inform the restaurant that the check the three females had used is counterfeit.
The total amount cashed with the traveler’s check is $100.  The case is under investigation.
Burglary
A Summerville woman reported that someone broke into her apartment on Boonehill by shattering the doorframe then entered the residence and stole several items. Missing items included a television, laptop computer, video game system, and DVDs worth about $1,500.