A Smithville man faces four charges of theft after a sheriff’s department investigation concluded that he was responsible for the disappearance of several road signs around the county.
Robert Karl May, 18, was charged with four counts of theft of property under $500 in the case, which involves the theft of signs belonging to the county, as well as the cities of Smithville, Dowelltown and Alexandria.
Sheriff’s Department detectives investigating a rash of vanishing signs reportedly found them in an outbuilding on Allen Ferry Road on Jan. 9.
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, the building belonged to May.
May was allegedly in possession of signs from Indian Mound Road, Big Woods Road, Sink Creek Road, Lowery Road, Cordell Love Road, McGinnis Road, Herman Road, Creek Road, Peeled Chestnut Road, and Davis Road, which were all taken from the county.
He was also found with Morgan Drive, Holmes Creek Road, Miller Road, and Golf Club Drive signs taken from the City of Smithville, a Bank Street sign from the City of Dowelltown and a Skyline Drive sign taken from the City of Alexandria. The signs are valued at $75 each.
May’s bond totals $4,000 and he will be in court Feb. 9.
A  woman has been charged with vandalism after she allegedly broke windows out of a housing project unit in Liberty on Jan. 15.
Robin Lee Keaton, 32, was arrested after reportedly admitting to the deputy dispatched to the scene that she was responsible.
 Two windows were broken at the residence, including one in the kitchen and one in the bedroom.
Residents apparently told the officer that Keaton committed the vandalism, and when questioned she allegedly admitted to the acts.
Bond for Keaton is $1,000 and she will be in court Feb. 9.
In other news from the Sheriff’s Department, 24-year-old James Edward Gilles was charged with aggravated assault on Jan. 17.
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, a deputy responding to reports of a fight near Dale Ridge Road on Highway 70 found Gilles and Nathaniel Tippins embroiled in an argument.
Authorities said that Tippins told them the disagreement began when Gilles, whose home Tippins had stayed at the night before, accused Tippins of taking his girlfriend's medications.
According to deputies, Tippins told them that Gilles told him to remove his clothes so he could search him.
Tippins claimed that when he refused, Gilles tried to strangle him, and deputies said that he had marks on his neck to back the story up.
Tippins reportedly got away from Gilles, got into a vehicle and left the scene.
Gilles apparently followed Tippins to the location where the deputy found the two still fighting.
Gilles bond is $3,500 and he will be in court Feb. 9.
A Sparta man was charged with a third offense of driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage on Jan 21.
 According to the sheriff, Charles Christopher Bates, 41, was arrested after  a deputy investigating a report of a reckless driver who had struck a guardrail spotted a vehicle matching the description and pulled it over.
The deputy spoke to the driver, Bates, who reportedly had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his person and was unsteady on his feet.
Bates allegedly admitted that he had been drinking and that he had hit the guardrail.
The impact apparently dislodged the bumper from Bates’ vehicle, and he stopped and put the bumper in his vehicle before leaving the scene.
Bates reportedly submitted to but performed poorly on several field sobriety tasks.
He also submitted to a blood alcohol test.
His prior DUI convictions were in Putnam and White counties.
His bond is $7,000 and he will be in court Feb. 9.