A 37-year-old local man is accused of stealing a check from a mailbox, forging his name on the document, and depositing it into his own bank account.
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, Samuel Malachi Murphy faces charges of forgery and theft of property over $500 after allegedly stealing a $733 personal check from a mailbox on Highway 56 S, changing the name on the check to his own, and then depositing the check into his own account at Regions Bank.
Ray said Murphy withdrew the money from the account the next day. His bond was set at $10,000, and he will appear in court on Dec. 19.
Meanwhile, Jesse Rita Leaf, 32, was charged with domestic assault on Dec.12.
The sheriff said Leaf assaulted her sister by cursing her and punching her several times about the face and head with her fist, causing bruising to her face and a swollen lip. The victim allegedly had an injured thumb and pinky finger from blocking punches.
Leaf’s bond was set at $2,500, and she will appear in court on Dec. 19.
Lorain Ruth Caldwell, 56, of Spencer was charged with driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license on Dec. 9.
Ray said a deputy responding to a report of a reckless driver spotted Caldwell's vehicle swerving in the roadway on Highway 56. Upon stopping the Caldwell’s vehicle, the officer reportedly found her speech to be slurred and judged her to be unsteady on her feet.
She allegedly had problems holding her head up. Caldwell admitted to the officer that she had taken several prescription medications.
She reportedly produced an ID only license, and a computer check revealed that her license was suspended in North Carolina for failure to satisfy a citation. The sheriff said she submitted to, but performed poorly on, all field sobriety tasks, and submitted to a blood test.
Her bond was set at $3,000.
Antonio Hernandez Gomez, 58, of Gordonsville was charged with driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage on Dec. 14.
Ray said Gomez was operating a motor vehicle on Highway 56 when he was stopped by an officer at Locke's Market in Warren County after he hit a road sign and a utility pole neat Mystic Market in DeKalb County and left the scene.
Gomez allegedly had an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and was very unsteady on his feet. He was reportedly was so intoxicated that he had to be helped to the patrol car, and refused to submit to field sobriety tasks or a blood test.
He allegedly had an open 12-ounce can of beer and four empty cans of beer in his vehicle.
His bond was set at $4,000, and he will appear in court on Jan. 9.