By Ashley Crutcher
The Panola County Sheriff’s Department has recovered an ATM machine from the Tallahatchie River, but has not yet found anyone who’s missing it. Deputy Mark Lott recovered the machine March 25 near the Belmont Bridge after a nearby resident spotted it in the water and notified the sheriff’s department.
“It was still encased in concrete,” Investigator Terry Smith said. Smith said that high water from recent rains may have moved the ATM machine to a spot where it was revealed as the water level dropped. Lott recovered the ATM machine in the water close to the bank on the south side of the river, according to his report. Smith is continuing the investigation to learn where the ATM machine may have been stolen.
Smith is also investigating two guns recovered from a December 2011 burglary at a Panola County home. The investigation began when Batesville police stopped a car carrying four people on Park Street March 31. They found a .22 caliber Remington rifle and entered the firearm’s serial number into the National Crime Information Computer database. It proved to have been one of 16 firearms stolen from the rural residence.
Smith’s investigation led to a man who said that he had bought three used guns but had no idea they had been stolen. A 30-.06 rifle purchased as one of the three also proved to have been stolen, but a shotgun was not. The owner of the guns has since died, Smith said. He has contacted survivors in an attempt to return the guns and continues to investigate, he said.
The Panola County Sheriff’s Office received 39 other reports from March 23 to April 1, including two fires that Smith also investigated.
On March 26, a Sardis Lake Drive resident reported that a small shed caught fire and burned. The resident said she burned leaves the day before and thought that she sprayed enough water to extinguish the fire, according to Smith’s report.
On March 29, Detective Smith was notified that a maroon 2008 Ford Taurus van was on fire on Pegram Road. The owner of the van reported that the car broke down and that he left it on the side of the road. According to the report, Detective Smith observed that the fire occurred on the inside of the vehicle and noticed a red gas jug in the passengers seat without a top on it. The report reads, “Further investigation revealed that someone poured the gas on the seats and started the fire, however, all windows were up and subsequently the fire burned out.”  
The owner told Smith that he received a call at work from a friend telling him that his car was on fire, however, according to the friend, she never called him. According to the report, Detective Smith confronted the owner, stating that he had reason to believe that the owner started the fire. The owner then decided not to seek insurance restitution for the damages and requested that the case be dropped.  
Thefts
On March 24, a Deer Creek Road resident reported to Deputy Jeremy Hailey that he noticed food from the pantry and a Dish satellite box missing from his home.
March 25, Deputy Dean Jones was dispatched to Greenhill Circle where the resident reported that a red 2007 Dodge Charger with a black roof was stolen.  
Deputy Jones took another report of theft on March 25 where an individual reported that three checkbooks were stolen. The complainant notified First Security Bank and learned that a $2,500 check was made out to another individual.  
March 26, Deputy Jones investigated a report of attempted theft from a shop on Butler Drive where an individual attempted to steal two tires. The report states that the shop owner had surveillance footage of the attempted theft.
March 26, Deputy Lott responded to a burglary on Hwy 6 East where the owner reported that someone broke into his building and car wash, stealing a commercial metal door, ceiling tile, two carwash motors, two boxes of roof tape, two vacuum hoses, and change machine totaling an approximate value of $3,800.
March 28, Compress Road resident reported to Lieutenant Willie Harris that his company credit card had racked up $1,723.99 in unauthorized charges.
March 29, Deputy Britton Crawford took a report from a Meadow View Drive resident that stated her car was broken into and a wallet, H&R Block card and a backpack full of Xbox games were stolen.
Deputy Crawford investigated another theft on March 29 where a Sees Chapel Road resident reported an EBT card, phone and a .270 Rifle was stolen from his residence.  
March 30, Brewer Road resident reported to Detective Danny Beavers that his mailbox was stolen.
Assault
March 24, Eureka Road resident reported to Deputy George Renfroe that individuals stopped traffic. As the victim pulled around them the individuals threw rocks hitting him in the face under his right eye and hitting his truck. According to the report, the suspects had tire tools and threatened to do bodily harm to the complainant.
An Audrey Road resident on March 24 told Deputy Lewis that a man who had done unsatisfactory work on the victim’s home vandalized the homeowner’s car when told he could do no more work.
A Pope-Water Valley Road resident told Deputy Lee Martin that his uncle had threatened him by phone, stating that he was going to bring his “Aryan Brotherhood boys” to “shoot him and his family.”
March 25, Deputy Lee Martin spoke to a resident on Pope Water Valley Road who stated that his uncle threatened to shoot him and his family.
March 27, McClyde Road resident reported to Deputy Lott that she got into an altercation with her boyfriend who tried to hit her with a tire tool and busted out the driver’s side window of her mother’s vehicle.
March 28, Ward Road, Sardis resident reported to Deputy John Still that she got a “No Contact Order” against her mother three months ago. The mother attempted to make contact with the complainant which breached the order.  
March 29, Diane Ross Road resident reported to Deputy Still that her and her husband got into an altercation where he grabbed her by the throat, picked up a gun and threatened her with it.
 March 30, Detective Bryan Arnold was dispatched to the Public Square in response to a disturbance of a business.  
March 30, Detective Danny Beavers took a report where the victim said a neighbor had threatened people hired to cut timber from the suspect’s Chrestman Cove property.
March 31, Lieutenant David Mills talked to a Benson Road resident who reported that he and his son got into an altercation. The complainant states in the report that his son hit him in his left eye and head.  
March 31, Detective Smith spoke to a victim who said that a man driving a black wrecker truck had been following her for about a year and taking pictures of her. Smith spoke with the owner of the black wrecker truck who stated that he had never seen her before.
Deputy Jeremy Hailey took a report on March 29 of a missing maroon 2002 Oldsmobile Alero. The victim stated that the car had a flat and was left on the side of Eureka Road. Later, her father called and told her that the vehicle was missing.
March 26, Deputy Josh Griffin made a traffic stop near Sardis Lake spillway and learned that the driver had a suspended license. Deputy Griffin found a small marijuana blunt in the ashtray. The suspect was arrested and transported to the Panola County Jail
March 28, Detective Smith spoke to the complainant who stated that someone shot a window out of the church on Curtis Road.
Trespassing
March 25, Ramsey Circle, Sardis, Deputy Harold Lewis took a report of trespassing. The manager of the trailer park said that the suspect was told by the owner not to come back because of his behavior in the past.
    March 26, Shiloh Road, Courtland resident reported to Deputy Lott and Deputy House that an individual attempted to kick down the complainant’s door.
April 1, Hwy 51 South, Sardis resident reported to Lt. Harris that some individuals came to his residence claiming to be the police and asked him to come outside.
Malicious Mischief
March 23, Coon Butler Road resident reported to Deputy Hailey that someone busted out two windows of his trailer.
March 24, Audrey Road, Courtland resident reported to Deputy Mark Allen that someone vandalized his Grey 1997 Chevy Malibu.
March 26, Shiloh Road, Courtland resident reported to Deputy House that her boyfriend damaged her white 1994 Chevy leaving dents in her hood and a broken driver’s side window. The suspect was arrested for disturbance of a family and malicious mischief.
March 27, McClyde Road, Como resident reported to Deputy Lott that her daughter recently broke up with an individual and that the individual busted out the windows to her gold Kia Optima.
March 29, Hwy 315, Sardis resident reported that someone fired a shot into the drivers door of his dumptruck.  
March 24, Roberson Lane resident reported to Deputy Mark Allen that an individual went missing after expressing suicidal thoughts.  
Dog Complaint
March 26, Hughes Road, Courtland resident reported to Deputy Martin that his neighbor’s dog barks all the time and that he asked his neighbor to get his dog to stop barking.  
March 30, Barnacre Road, Sardis reported to Lt. Mills that her neighbors German Shepard came onto her property and attacked her chihuahua, biting him several times. According to the complainant, the dog died from the injuries.
Juvenile Offense report
Two 13-year-olds landed in hot water for fighting and assault. One incident on March 23 occurred at North Panola Junior High and the other incident on March 26 occurred at a residence on Vassar Road.
Vehicle Accident Report
March 25, J. Q. West Road, a car lost control
March 26, Curtis Road-Shell Road, one car wreck. One injury was reported.
March 27, Still Road, a car ran off the road.
March 30, Chapel Hill Road, truck flipped.