The Blotter is taken from Charleston Police Department reports. We’ve added a cartoon and a little commentary. We’ve added a little humor, too. No one has been found guilty. This is not a court of law.
Blotter o’ the week: On the peninsula, a rickshaw operator was giving area kids free rides around the block without their parents knowledge. One mother let her child outside to play, only to find that she was missing soon after. All kids were quickly returned and advised that there was no physical contact between them and the rickshaw driver.
On James Island, a woman was experiencing a severe case of the munchies, which isn’t a crime. The offender began opening bags of snacks at a convenient store, eating from them, then leaving the opened packages around the store, which in and of itself also isn’t a crime. When police responded to the scene, she appeared to be intoxicated. A search of her bag revealed a gram of marijuana, which actually is a crime.
According to CPD, a woman’s car was stolen in downtown. The victim met an old acquaintance for drinks one night. Upon invitation, she accompanied her friend back to her house, where she “blacked out.” Once she woke up, she found that her keys were missing, along with her 2005 light blue Mercedes. Her friend informed her that an unknown male had stolen the vehicle and that she was trying to find him.
A woman advised that four watches (valued at $8,000 each), a wedding ring ($9,000), two purses (total value $4,500), a bracelet ($5,000), and stack of $1,000 cash was stolen from her residence.
A man with a crack pipe in his pocket attempted to steal two bags of frozen shrimp from a downtown grocery store. He entered the frozen food aisle, placed the bags of food into a larger red bag with white lettering and left the store. The man was stopped by the store owners who informed the police.
A simple assault stemmed from a complicated situation at a King Street restaurant. A man with a belt hanging from around his neck approached the business’ employees and began “soliciting the bartenders for cocaine.” After being asked to leave, the offender became belligerent and was eventually forced from the restaurant. The man pulled the belt off of his neck and struck an employee, as the restaurant door was being closed. The offender was arrested and transported to Al Cannon Detention Center.
At a West Ashley grocery store, a man was asked by three employees not to return to the shop after smoking and drinking in the men’s restroom. The offender left, then called the grocery store to make threats on the assistant manager’s life. He also argued with the employees about using the bathroom to consume libations because he claimed people in his family don’t smoke or drink.
A purple smoke bomb was set off on the fourth floor of an apartment complex. The complainant stated that the smoke bomb was set off in front of his door, but he believes it was meant for someone six apartments down from him.
A group of juveniles threw a milkshake into a shop on Market Street after being asked to leave the premises. They must have had pretty good aim because, according to the store owner, $160 worth of clothing was damaged and had to be thrown out. Love Best of Charleston? Help the Charleston City Paper keep Best of Charleston going every year with a donation. Or sign up to become a member of the Charleston City Paper club.