HCSO log

THEFT OF PROPERTY:

Deputies with the Hempstead County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) are investigating a theft of property.

According to a report from the HCSO, a person came in around 10 a.m. Friday saying a computer had been stolen. Nicholas Gilbert, with enable Gas Transmission, reportedly told deputies his company computer had been stolen from his work truck.

FRAUD/MEDIA SCAM

Deputies are investigating a possible scam that occurred Friday around 3:30 p.m.

According to the report, deputies went to a home on Hwy. 371 and talked to a woman who said she’d received a call from Nationwide Courier and was told they were going to drop off a package at her house. She was concerned it may be a scam. The report stated the caller had appeared to be nervous and was unable to tell the woman what the delivery was in reference to. The woman said she’d been told to call a phone number and give them a case number to find out what it was about.

However, when the deputy called the number, he was unable to make contact with anyone.

BATTERY/TERRORISTIC THREATENING

Marcus Ballard has been charged with second degree battery, third degree domestic battery and first degree terroristic threatening.

According to an HCSO report, Deputy Landon Loe was sent to a residence on Hempstead 11 Saturday shortly after 1:30 a.m. concerning a domestic disturbance in progress. He was told Ballard had been threatening family members with a knife.

When he arrived, Loe reportedly found Ballard standing shirtless next to a vehicle and noticed what appeared to be several injuries to Ballard’s face, possibly from a fight. Ballard also appeared to be intoxicated as he was slurring his words and having trouble standing up.

Loe talked with Andrea Ballard, Marcus’ sister, who reportedly said he’d been drinking since earlier in the day and was getting more and more violent. She told the deputy she and her fiancée, John Witcher, were trying to calm him down, but nothing worked.

According to the report, Ballard grabbed his sister by the throat and began pulling her hair. She tried, but couldn’t escape his grasp, but Witcher came over to help free her from her brother. Ballard reportedly began fighting with Witcher, who defended himself. Ballard allegedly grabbed a pocket knife and began threatening everyone there reportedly saying he was going to stab them.

Loe spoke with Witcher, who appeared to have a bloody nose and a small cut on his left bicep. Witcher reportedly said he was injured during the fight, adding Ballard’s sister managed to disarm him and throw the knife into the yard. Deputies searched, but were unable to find the knife.

Pafford Ambulance arrived to evaluate Ballard and Witcher, but both refused medical treatment. Ballard was arrested and charged with second degree battery, third degree domestic battery and first degree terroristic threatening, and taken to the Hempstead County Detention Facility.

During the transport, Ballard reportedly began kicking the back of the divider in the patrol car and claimed he was going to tell those at the jail the deputies had caused his injuries. He also claimed the deputies had messed with the wrong guy and claimed he would tell the Aryan Nation of his arrest. According to the report, Ballard continued making threats and asked how which county he was in and how many deputies were employed by the HCSO because all of their houses were going to explode at the same time.

The report states Ballard told deputies he wasn’t going to jail and would have to be tasered or shot first. When the deputy arrived at the HCSO’s sally port, another deputy and jailer were on hand in case there was an altercation. However, Ballard was removed from the vehicle without incident.

THEFT OF PROPERTY:

Deputies are investigating the theft of some plants reportedly taken from a house on Hwy. 371 in Blevins.

According to the report, the call came in shortly after 2:30 p.m. Friday, when the owner said he’d gone to the property and noticed some plants missing.

DOMESTIC BATTERY THIRD:

Mayani Baza has been charged with domestic battery third degree.

According to a report from the HCSO, a deputy was sent to a residence on Hwy. 278 concerning a domestic disturbance around 2:45 p.m. Saturday.

Upon arrival the deputy met with another deputy, Marla Barnhill, who said there had been an altercation between Baza and Pedro Capetillo. The deputy talked to Baza about the incident, but had to get an interpreter as she didn’t speak fluent English. Baza reportedly said Capetillo had been upset with her over something and struck her in the mouth, but wouldn’t say why. The deputy reportedly saw a small cut on the inside of her upper lip.

He also spoke with Capetillo and his uncle, Ricardo Capetillo. Pedro reportedly said Baza had been mad at him because she thought he had her car keys, though he didn’t. He reportedly told her this several time, but she got angry and punched him in the left eye. He claimed to have gotten away from her and walked away. When asked if he’d struck Baza, he said he couldn’t remember, but it could have happened when he was trying to get her off him. The deputy noticed a discoloration and swelling under Capetillo’s eye.

The deputy filled out a Domestic Violence Lethality screening for Capetillo and gave him a victim’s rights and responsibility card. Capetillo reportedly asked for an order of protection against Baza and was told how this could be done.

Baza was charged with battery third degree and taken to the HCDF.

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY:

Deputies are investigating a residential burglary that occurred around 5 p.m. Saturday at a residence on Hempstead 185.

Deputies talked with a James Jones, who said he’d been working at the house with his son and when they arrived earlier he noticed some of their tools were missing. He said two power drills, a miter saw, a jigsaw and a reciprocating saw were missing from the scene.

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY:

Deputies are investigating a residential burglary that occurred shortly before 6:30 p.m. Saturday at a house on Hemsptead 242.

Deputies met with Jonathan Dickerson who said when he returned home he noticed several guns were missing from the gun cabinet. When Dickerson inspected the house he also found a metal lock box, containing payment books, social security cards and other papers, was also missing.

FIRE:

Deputies were sent to Hempstead 282 around 6:30 p.m. Saturday in reference to a house fire.

When they arrived, the deputies met with Randy Walters who said the house belonged to his mother and had caught fire. The Blevins and McCaskill Volunteer Fire Departments were on the scene fighting the blaze. The deputy spoke to firemen and was told the house was fully engulfed when they arrived and had no idea what caused it.

DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE:

A call came in to the HCSO shortly before midnight Saturday concerning a domestic disturbance in Emmet.

The deputy met with the caller who reportedly said Martha Elmer and Thomas Carter had been fighting and he was tired of it. He told the deputy he’d been staying at the residence and grown tired of the constant fighting between Elmer and Carter. The deputy was told Carter had left on foot, but Elmer was still there.

The deputy spoke with Elmer who said Carter had not been staying with her, but had been texting her constantly though she wouldn’t reply. She said he’d came to her front door asking to come in, but was told to “go away”. Instead of leaving, Carter allegedly punched out the window in the door and began to kick it. The deputy noticed broken glass on the ground and inside the home and saw dents in the door where it could have been kicked. He also noticed several drops of blood on the porch and smeared blood on the window blinds, as well as on the wall outside the residence.

A search for Carter, with assistance from the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, turned up nothing, but the incident remains under investigation.

SEXUAL ASSAULT:

The HCSO is investigating a reported sexual assault on a 13-year-old girl. The call came in around 12:40 p.m. Sunday with a deputy sent to talk to the girl’s grandmother who said a man had ripped her granddaughter’s clothes off at a chicken house near Hope.

BATTERY:

Deputies are investigating a battery that reportedly occurred at 6:10 p.m. Sunday at a residence on Hwy. 299.

An 18-year-old girl told the deputy she’d been at a friend’s house Saturday night and Sunday and was sitting in the bedroom when a male came in, pushed her onto the bed and grabbed her by the throat. According to the report, the girl didn’t lose consciousness and the deputy saw bruised on her neck. She told the deputy she’d only seen the person once before and didn’t know him.