POLICE REPORTS

Three teens were arrested Wednesday afternoon following a brazen daylight beating incident in the parking lot of a West Floyd Baker Boulevard drug store.

The three teens allegedly chased the 21-year-old victim into a convenience store and then ran him down in the Walgreen's drug store parking lot where they allegedly forced him to the ground and began kicking him in the head and face.

The incident sparked numerous calls to Cherokee County 911 on Wednesday afternoon and a massive police response. The three teens were found a short distance away from the drug store.

Two of the teens, both 16- years-old, were taken to the Gaffney Police Department and subsequently released to their parents.

The third teen, 17-year-old Timothy Ray Weathers, of West Smith Street, was booked at the Cherokee County Detention Center on the charge of lynching.

The Gaffney Police Department is investigating the burglary of three bankowned homes.

According to separate police reports, burglaries were discovered Sept. 30 at three homes owned by American Community Bank. All three homes were vacant as they had been lost in foreclosure. It wasn't clear exactly when the burglaries occurred.

Two of the break-ins occurred in the 500 block of Chestnut Street while the third occurred in the 500 block of Willow Street. In each case, police said, the thief or thieves targeted all of the electrical wiring from under the homes. In addition, five window air conditioning units were stolen from the home on Willow Street and the home's furnace was damaged. At one of the homes on Chestnut Street, the thief or thieves also stole a washer and dryer and damaged several windows.

Altogether, theft and damage to the homes are estimated at $5,350.

A stolen debit card was put almost immediately to use by the thief or thieves who took a wallet at Limestone College, according to a report at the Gaffney Police Department.

A 20-year-old man told police his wallet was taken Sept. 30 between 8:20 p.m. and 9:47 p.m. while he was at the Fullerton Auditorium at Limestone College.

The man went to his bank the following day to cancel his debit card and learned it already had been used at a liquor store, at Wal-Mart and at Murphy Oil.

Police indicated that security cameras at Wal-Mart and Murphy Oil might show the identity of the person who used the stolen debit card.

More than $4,000 in electronic and hand tools were stolen from an Edgewood Drive home last month.

According to the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, someone broke into an outbuilding in the 100 block of Edgewood Drive between Sept. 1 and Sept. 28 and took a Craftsman tool box, various hand tools, a Troy Built generator, a Black and Decker drill, a Porta Cable Portaband, a Craftsman drill and a Lincolnbrand MIG welder.

About $700 in lawn equipment was reported stolen from an Old Georgia Highway business this week.

According to a report at the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, someone forced entry into two outbuildings owned by Phillips Lawn Care between 8 p.m. Sept. 30 and 8:30 a.m. Oct. 1 and stole a Stihl chain saw and an Echo hedge trimmer.

A 4-wheeler was reported stolen from a Batchelor Drive, Blacksburg, property this week.

According to the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, someone took the dark green Kawasaki Bayou 220 from a property in the 300 block between Sept. 26 and Sept. 27. The 4-wheeler had a broken throttle and a cracked right front fender. It is valued at $2,000.

A vehicle parked outside Gaffney High School sustained about $500 in vandalism damage Sept. 29.

According to the Gaffney Police Department, someone scratched the paint of the 2000 Honda with an unknown object between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Police said they reviewed security camera tapes in an attempt to learn the identity of the vandal.

A Bridges Road resident reported the theft of a CD player from her vehicle this week.

According to the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, someone entered the woman's unlocked 2000 Hyundai between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. Sept. 29 and took the CD player valued at $250.

A Clary Street home in Gaffney sustained about $200 in damage at the hands of a copper thief.

According to a report at the Gaffney Police Department, a woman in the 1000 block got up at about 7 a.m. on Sept. 26 to answer the telephone and noticed out the window someone running out of her crawl space. Police said they found the woman's cable wiring had been cut.

More than $3,000 in farm equipment was reported stolen from an Alabama Avenue home in Chesnee.

According to the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, someone took four plows, a dual axle trailer, a hand roller/packer and other items from the 400 block between Sept. 21 and Sept. 25. The items were valued at a combined $3,350.

A property owner on Goldmine Springs Road sustained about $300 in damage when a driver took out her mailbox and a fence and then fled.

According to Gaffney Police Department, the damage occurred between 12:30 a.m. and 12:45 a.m. on Sept. 28 in the 100 block. The car that caused the damage left behind several pieces of metal trim and likely was damaged on the driver's side.

- TIM GULLA