Bluefield Daily Telegraph
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MERCER SHERIFF:
JULY 17
BREAKING & ENTERING: Dep. A.M. Ballard responded to Little General BP, on Athens road in Princeton, to a report of a breaking and entering. Upon arrival, the officer noticed that the front door window had been broken, and that the cash box that is usually below the register was missing. Video surveillance showed a white male throw a rock through the window and then kick the glass in. The male then jumped the counter, grabbed several packs of cigarettes and the cash box before fleeing the scene. The cash box was later found by officers outside the store, but it was empty. Investigation ongoing.
JULY 18
B&EAUTO: Dep. J.D. Ellison responded to a call from Pisgah Lane, in Princeton, where a complainant reported that a bottle of alcohol had been stolen from his patio. The bottle had been found across the road by a neighbor who noticed that someone had broken into his vehicle. Nothing was missing from the vehicle. No suspects at this time.
DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY: Dep. J.D. Gills responded to a call from Goodwill Hollow Road, where a complainant reported that her son's vehicle had been destroyed by a suspect. Upon arrival, the officer observed that the vehicle's windows had all been busted, all four tires had been slashed, and the hood and roof had been crushed in. The officer reported that the damage to the hood and roof appeared to have been caused by someone jumping up and down on the car. The officer also noticed blood, chunks of meat and what appeared to be human skin near the damage to the windshield of the vehicle. When the officer asked why the suspect might do this, the complainant stated that she had borrowed $125 from him and not yet paid it back. The officer estimated the damage to the vehicle at $2,000. No arrests made at this time.
JULY 19
OBSTRUCTING, DISORDERLY CONDUCT, PUBLIC INTOXICATION: Dep. A.M. Ballard responded to a complaint of an altercation at a Union St. residence, in Bluefield. Upon arrival, the accused was told to stop being loud, to stop arguing and to leave the property and not return. After some dispute, the accused left, but shortly after officers were called back to the residence, where the accused had returned. He was observed stumbling down the driveway and yelling at other people present. He stated he had returned for his cigarettes, and he appeared intoxicated. Brian Lee Taylor, 28, of Bluefield, was arrested.
PETIT LARCENY: Major D.B. Bailey took an in-office complaint from a woman stating that a suspect had come to her residence to speak about their break-up, which had occurred one month before. The suspect was upset and allegedly grabbed the victim's cellular phone and threw it across the room. The two then wrestled for the phone and the suspect reportedly left with it and has since refused to give it back. The victim noted that the suspect has an identical twin and that the two use each other's names when someone is looking for them. According to the victim, the suspect has a criminal record of domestic violence, stalking and narcotic arrests. No arrests at this time.
OBTAINING MONEY BY FALSE PRETENSE: Lt. J. Parks took a complaint from a woman claiming $3,500 had been taken from her by fraudulent means. The complaint reported that she had responded to an advertisement in the Trading Journal about a man who was doing construction and other odd jobs. The complainant made contact with the accused, and they met and discussed a job which would include the underpinning of her trailer and the construction of a new deck. The victim stated that they agreed upon a price of $5,400 for the entire job, and she gave him $3,500 in the form of a check to buy materials and get the job done. The suspect reported that the check was cashed on June 2, but no work has been done by the suspect to date. No arrests have been made.
JULY 20
PETIT LARCENY: Dep. W.E. Rose responded to a complaint of petit larceny at a Village Glen residence, in Princeton. The complainant stated that she had bought her son a three-wheel bike recently. The bike was used once and left in the yard of the residence. The next morning, the victim noticed the bike was missing. The bike was valued at $300. No suspects at this time, but the victim did state that she had had trouble with local teenagers walking through her yard, whom she had advised to stay off her property.
PETIT LARCENY: Dep. W.E. Rose responded to a complaint from Old Princeton Road, where it was reported that a suspect had cut a large hole in a fence and gained access to a Verizon Wireless tower. The suspect reportedly cut and stole approximately 35 feet of copper ground wire from the tower, a loss valued at $30. Charges pending upon discovery of a suspect.
DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY: Dep. E.P. Parks responded to Low Gap Road, in Princeton, where a victim reported that she was in her residence when she heard a loud noise outside that sounded like a gunshot, followed by the noise of glass breaking. The victim advised that she went to investigate and discovered a bullet hole in her front picture window. The hole appeared to have been made by a small caliber handgun. No suspects at this time.
