21-year-old Gaffney man accused of having sex with a minor

A 21-year-old city man was accused this week by the Gaffney Police Department of second degree criminal sexual conduct.

Police served an arrest warrant Wednesday accusing Ronald Franklin Osborne Jr., of West Buford Street, with engaging in sexual activity with a minor under 16. The warrant alleges the incident occurred between Dec. 1, 2007 and June 17. Osborne was being held at the Cherokee County Detention Center as of Thursday afternoon. His bond was listed as being under advisement.

Two people were arrested for unlawful child neglect following a June 16 visit to their home by a Cherokee County Sheriff's Office deputy.

According to a police report, a deputy was responding to a domestic dispute at a Blanton Meadows Drive home at about 1:30 a.m. when he noticed the children in the home didn't have food. The deputy claimed in the report the conditions in the home were unlivable.

According to Cherokee County Detention Center Records, Travis Mahaffey, 35, was booked on one count of domestic violence and three counts of unlawful child neglect.

Deanna Stroupe Mahaffey was booked on three counts of unlawful child neglect.

They were awaiting bond hearings as of Tuesday afternoon.

The Gaffney Police Department is investigating a June 17 incident in which a man allegedly threatened a 13-year-old girl with a handgun during a dispute over fireworks.

According to a police report, the incident occurred at about 10:15 p.m. The young girl told police she was having a "firecracker war" with friends when a 32-year-old man approached, believing the children had thrown a firecracker at him. The girl claimed the man brandished a handgun and stated she was lucky he didn't shoot her. The man told police he simply told the children to quit throwing firecrackers at him. No charges were reported.

A vehicle parked on Sycamore Street sustained about $300 in vandalism damage June 12 when someone marked it with spray paint.

According to a report at the Gaffney Police Department, all four sides of a 1999 Chrysler 300 were damaged with spray paint between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. while it was parked in the 100 block.

Four car rims worth an estimated $1,600 were reported stolen from an Anthony Street carport recently.

The 20-inch DUB rims valued at $400 each were taken from the 800 block between 7 p.m. on June 11 and 7 a.m. on June 12, according to a report at the Gaffney Police Department.

A copper thief or thieves targeted a Laurel Street home recently, taking an estimated $500 in copper from the home.

The thefts occurred between May 31 and June 12 in the 100 block, according to a report at the Gaffney Police Department.

Three drink vending machines were stolen from a West Floyd Baker Boulevard storage locker recently.

According to a report at the Gaffney Police Department, the vending machines owned by Dogwood Vending were taken from Gaffney Mini Storage between Dec. 1, 2007 and June 11. The machines are valued at about $2,400.

Two mobile homes were broken into on Peachoid Road between the afternoon of June 13 and morning of June 14.

According to a report at the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, the thief or thieves took a headboard, night stand and a lamp and damaged two windows, resulting in theft and loss damages of about $1,300.

The mobile homes are owned by Spartan Homes.

Police are investigating claims that a woman who didn't speak English might have been defrauded out of $180 by a fake bail bondsman.

According to a report at the Gaffney Police Department, a 23-year-old Twin Oaks Drive woman trying to secure her husband's release from the Cherokee County Detention Center met with a woman in the parking lot outside the county jail on June 12 and paid her $180 to get him released.

Police said the bondswoman, who identified herself only as "Kita," went inside the jail and later gave the 23-year-old woman two telephone numbers to call if her husband wasn't released by the following day. The man wasn't released from jail, police said, and the woman learned the two telephone numbers she had been given were bogus. One number was disconnected and the second was for someone else.

The woman, through a translator, told police another inmate inside the jail had set up the deal for her husband. Police said they were advised by Detention Center staff the June 12 meeting in the parking lot may have been recorded by surveillance cameras.

The Gaffney Police Department was asked to investigate an alleged sexual assault that occurred in a restroom at the Gaffney Little Theatre on East Robinson Street.

According to a police report, the mother of a 13-year-old Spartanburg girl claimed her daughter had engaged in a sexual act with a 17-year-old boy inside the restroom June 14 between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Police said they went to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center to talk to the woman and her daughter and that the 13-year-old girl did not want to talk about the alleged incident.

A Ruppe Drive car wash reported more than $2,000 in theft and damage losses after thieves broke into money collection machines June 16.

According to the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, a thief or thieves broke into four money collection machines at Oasis Car Wash between 7:30 a.m. and 11 p.m. Theft losses are estimated at $450 while damage is estimated at $1,800.

A solar-charged night light placed on a grave at Clingman Gardens in Blacksburg was reported stolen recently.

A Blacksburg Highway woman told the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office the solar light she had placed on her grandfather's grave was taken from the cemetery between June 10 and June 14. The light is valued at $40.

A West Buford Street apartment complex reported about $700 in vandalism damage this past weekend.

According to a police report, someone knocked down the wood railing of the clubhouse at Westwood Apartments and threw two flower pots down an embankment. Police said the vandal(s) also threw a baseball bat into the swimming pool.

A 26-inch Schwinn bicycle was reported stolen from a Beech Street home June 14.

According to the Gaffney Police Department, the bicycle was taken from a carport in the 700 block of the street.

Also missing is a pair of eyeglasses that had been stored in an attached bag.

Theft losses are estimated at $135.

- Tim Gulla