Across the area

Wreck causes power outage

About 660 Columbia County homes lost power for several hours Sunday after a driver crashed into a utility pole at Mullikin and Furys Ferry roads, said Georgia Power spokesman John Sell.

Mr. Sell said the driver broke the pole in the 11 a.m. accident. It took crews about six hours to restore power.

No one was injured in the wreck.

Woman charged with damaging vehicle

Police charged a 29-year-old Augusta woman over the weekend with damaging a vehicle last year and fleeing the scene.

Shekita Redfield, of the 600 block of Fairhope Street, was taken to the Richmond County jail early Sunday. She was charged with criminal damage to property in the second degree, according to Richmond County jail records.

According to a Richmond County sheriff's report, Judy Amber Dent, of the 2300 block of Woodsman Drive, told police that someone broke the front and rear windshield glass and the driver and passenger windows on her 1992 Buick Roadmaster the morning of Sept. 10.

She said the vehicle was parked in the 1700 block of Essie McIntyre Boulevard at the time and that the damage totaled $1,000.

Augusta man reports beating in parking lot

A 20-year-old Augusta man told police a group of men attacked him in a parking lot Sunday morning in the 1200 block of Pine Street.

According to a Richmond County sheriff's report, Brandon Bright said the men kicked him several times in his head, then ran off.

He was treated and released from Medical College of Georgia Hospital, a spokeswoman said. No arrests were made in the case Sunday.

Woman says man fired gun after argument

An Augusta woman told police that an acquaintance pointed a gun at her Saturday, then fired several shots that didn't hit anyone.

She said the shooting occurred in the 200 block of Second Avenue at about 10:30 p.m..

Hattie Ann Brunson, 25, said she and the man had been arguing about a "family-related incident" when he began pushing her, a Richmond County sheriff's report states.

After she pushed back, the man ran into a home and grabbed a handgun, the report says. Ms. Brunson said he fired five shots.

Police did not recover any shell casings in the area, according to the report.

Bank robbery suspects still in S. Carolina jail

Two men accused of robbing area banks remained jailed Sunday night in South Carolina, according to authorities.

Demetrius Terrell Freeman, 24, and Vincent Savageau, 26, were being held at the Kershaw County Detention Center without bond, police said. Mr. Savageau has been charged in at least one robbery. Mr. Freeman, who was wanted in one robbery, turned himself in Friday.

Ed Reinhold, the supervisory senior resident agent at the Augusta FBI office, said the men could be linked to as many as five recent bank robberies: two in Columbia County, the April 17 robbery of a Wachovia in Augusta, a Lugoff, S.C., bank robbery and a robbery near Columbia.

Man is charged after driving car into tree

Richmond County sheriff's deputies charged an Augusta man with several traffic citations after he drove off the road and into a tree in Olde Town on Saturday night.

Police and emergency personnel responded to Broad and Second streets at about 8:55 p.m., Richmond County sheriff's Cpl. Bill Adams said.

The driver, Michael O. Brown, 32, of the 3500 block of Southwick Drive, told authorities he fell asleep at the wheel after working a double shift.

Police charged Mr. Brown with failing to maintain his lane, driving while unlicensed, driving without a state tag and driving without insurance. He was treated at Medical College of Georgia Hospital.

Pizza deliveryman is robbed of his wares

A pizza delivery employee told Richmond County sheriff's deputies that three men robbed him of pizza and chicken wings early Saturday.

The employee of Domino's Pizza in the 5000 block of Wrightsboro Road told deputies that someone calling on a cell phone ordered eight pizzas and two servings of chicken wings, a police report stated.

When the deliveryman arrived at the 4000 block of Madison Drive at about 12:50 a.m., three men ran towards him and took the food, the report stated. The food was valued at $60.

Woman loses $8,500 in scam over Internet

An Augusta woman told Richmond County sheriff's deputies she lost $8,500 in an Internet scam.

The victim, 63, told deputies a person she met online persuaded her to cash 10 money orders and send the money to a man in Nigeria, a police report said.

The woman said her bank told her the money orders she cashed were forged.

Deposit bag stolen, employee tells police

A fast food restaurant employee told Richmond County sheriff's deputies that a deposit bag with $606 was stolen.

According to a police report, Andrea Herrington, an employee of Church's Chicken in the 1800 block of Walton Way, said she thought someone took the bag to the bank Wednesday. But the bank said it never received it, the report stated.