Author: Staff Reports

Following an incident Tuesday that created a major gas leak just west of the city limits, officials are reminding locals to dial 811 before digging on their property. The City of Douglas issued the following press release late Tuesday afternoon: “On Tuesday, October 13, 2015, the Coffee County Fire Department, along with several City of Douglas Gas Department officials, responded to a gas line rupture on Georgia Highway 32 near Sinkhole Road. A residential gas line was hit when a contractor was plowing ground to lay cables that caused a gas pipe to leak. The residential service has been inactive…

Emergency personnel responded Tuesday morning to an area off Ga. Hwy. 32 just west of the Douglas city limits in reference to gas leak in a line running from Tifton to Douglas. Authorities diverted traffic between Sinkhole Rd. and Warren Carter Rd. off Hwy. 32 while workers identified and secured the problem. Officials stated a residential line had been hit by a contractor who was plowing the ground to lay cable. The broken pipe was sealed and traffic flow resumed normally.

A Douglas man accused of attempting to steal a vehicle out of a shopping plaza parking lot last week got more than be bargained for when local citizens were able to detain him long enough for police to arrive. Authorities responded to the Douglas Plaza last Thursday, Oct. 8, around 11 p.m. after receiving a report of a motor vehicle theft in progress. According to an incident report from the Douglas Police Dept., while authorities were en route, 911 operators advised the alleged offender had been apprehended by several bystanders. The suspect, identified as 25-year-old Demetrious Maurice Williams of a…

Coffee County sheriff’s officials reported Friday their office has received several reports from citizens that they are getting calls from scammers stating they have won from $1 million to $2.5 million dollars. The callers are hard to understand, according to the complaints, and are advising that in order to receive the money the winner has to provide them with information to their bank account to withdrawal $2500. If the person does not have a bank account, they are instructed to get a green dot card or preloaded debit or credit card and provide them with that number. Sheriff’s authorities are…

Officials with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office reported Thursday that convicted child molester William Alonzo Fender was arrested after being found in the presence of children, a violation of his probation. Fender, age 34, was charged with child molestation in December of 2006 and convicted in Atkinson County Superior Court in May of 2008. He is required by law to report certain information to the sheriff’s office in the county in which he resides. He is also required to notify the sheriff’s office 72 hours prior to changing addresses or taking employment at any job. Authorities state Fender failed to…

Two people were jailed Tuesday afternoon following a high-speed chase through downtown Douglas involving multiple law enforcement agencies. Detectives and K-9 officers from the Douglas – Coffee Drug Unit (DCDU) were involved in a vehicle pursuit in the southeast section of the city. DCDU was assisted by the Douglas – Coffee HEAT Unit, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, the Douglas Police Department, and the Georgia State Patrol. The chase began on east Baker Hwy. and ended in the 900 block of Brooks Ave. after the suspect hit a light pole. The driver then fled on foot, but was apprehended shortly…

Officials with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office reported Monday that, during the month of September, the detective division investigated 12 burglaries in the county and were able to bring closure to eight of them, with four individuals being arrested. April Lynn Smith and Joseph Keith Smith were both charged with two counts of burglary and Christopher Dean Dyal and Chase Cotsenmoyer were each charged with one count of burglary. The office also made five additional arrests for theft by taking. Aurelio Martinez was charged with one count of theft of medication. Kenny Lee Stone was charged with one count of…

According to a report from television station Fox 5 in Atlanta, a Douglas GBI agent had his shotgun, ammo, taser, and other equipment stolen earlier this week after criminals smashed the windows of his vehicle, which was parked at a Buckhead hotel. The agent, who has not been named at this time, was reportedly in the Atlanta area for work-related training. However, GBI representatives have stated the agent failed to follow departmental procedures when securing his weapon. Douglas Now reached out to officials at the local GBI office, who declined to provide any further statements on the matter. Watch the…

A man attempting to burglarize a local church was allegedly caught in the act last week when authorities discovered him attempting to leave the scene of the crime. Douglas police responded to Eastside Baptist Church on E. Bryan St. last Thursday, Sept. 24, just after 2 a.m. after receiving a report of an alarm going off. Officials were met on the scene by a church member who directed them to an area of the complex where he stated they had been experiencing some problems. Upon investigation, police found 55-year-old Melvin Sylvester Taylor, also of a Bryan St. address, leaving the…

Three people were arrested on varying drug charges during separate incidents Saturday after officers discovered an array of illegal substances in the suspects’ vehicles. Officials with the Douglas – Coffee Drug Unit reported that officers stopped a vehicle Saturday evening on Rebecca S. Waldron Rd. outside of Douglas. During the traffic stop, officers located methamphetamine and marijuana. As a result of the incident, 28-year-old Christopher Broadway of Douglas was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, and 19-year-old Katee L. Dailey of Douglas was charged with possession of methamphetamine and misdemeanor possession of marijuana. Also on Saturday, Douglas – Coffee HEAT Unit…