Woman abducted against will
ORANGE PARK – A Keystone Heights man faces charges of adult false imprisonment and battery following an investigation by local authorities on July 21.
At 12:04 a.m., the Clay County Sheriff’s Office received a call reporting a reckless driver at Park and Kingsley Avenues in Orange Park. The caller told police that a white Ford pickup truck was traveling southbound on Park Avenue. Later that day, a police officer was dispatched to a person calling for help near the Garber Automall on U.S. Highway 17. While en route, the officer was informed by dispatch that the vehicle had crashed at 1293 Governors Creek Dr.
When police arrived at the address, they saw Douglas Gerald Skinner, 33, digging through the front passenger seat of a white Ford pickup truck, the same truck police received a reckless driving report on. While digging through the truck, police asked Skinner to show them his hands. Skinner looked at police and then continued to dig through the truck. At this point, police pulled their guns out and ordered Skinner to show them his hands – this time, he obliged.
According to the police report, Skinner might have been under the influence of narcotics due to his erratic behavior and profuse amount of sweating.
After placing Skinner in handcuffs, police made contact with the victim who was found in the vehicle, with a towel hidden to obscure her face. Although many details have been redacted from the report, it’s believed that Skinner abducted the victim at the Stay Suites of America on Wells Road in Orange Park.
While it is not entirely clear, based on the police report, it appears that Skinner used a knife to abduct and threaten the victim. While battery was committed, it’s unclear if this knife was used to commit battery.
After his arrest, Skinner was transported to the Orange Park Medical Center for medical clearance after the traffic crash. He was then transported to the Clay County Jail and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, adult false imprisonment and manufacturing of a controlled substance. At press time, he remained in jail with a bond amount of $200,006 for two of the charges and no bond amount for one of the charges, meaning he will not be eligible to bond out of jail.

Woman hides drugs in body cavity
GREEN COVE SPRINGS — A Green Cove Springs woman was arrested on July 22, at 2:37 p.m. for knowingly introducing contraband into the Clay County Jail.
While being booked into the Clay County Jail, Stephanie Dawn Gooderham, 25, was found to have crack cocaine on her person. A Clay County Sheriff’s Office deputy conducting a strip search discovered two small tan pieces of what appeared to be crack cocaine from Gooderham’s vagina, according to the police report.
After this discovery, Gooderham was charged with committing the crime of introduction of contraband into a jail by knowingly introducing, possessing or attempting to introduce or possess, contraband into a county jail.
She has since been released on an undisclosed bond amount.

Woman charged with striking elderly mother
ORANGE PARK – An Orange Park man was arrested July 22, at 7:26 p.m. for simple battery on a person older than 65.
On July 22, police responded to a call from an address on Sherwin Oaks Lane in Orange Park in reference to a domestic battery. When police arrived, the victim told police that her daughter, Amanda Summers Bledsoe, 41, asked to use her car. The victim told police she said no to Bledsoe, according to the police report. After saying no, Bledsoe snatched the keys from her mother, the victim, while she had them in her hand. When Bledsoe snatched the keys, it caused a small laceration on the victim’s finger. The victim told police that after this, she attempted to walk to the front door but was blocked by Bledsoe.
The victim then asked Bledsoe for her keys back, but Bledsoe said no and snatched the victim’s glasses off her face and threw them on the ground while saying, “I’m getting the demon out of you one way or another, let’s go [expletive deleted].”
According to the police report, the victim said this kind of behavior had been occurring for the past three days.
Bledsoe was arrested, transported to the Clay County Jail and charged with committing the offense of simple battery on a person 65 or older. Bledsoe is currently free on an undisclosed bond amount.

Multi-state suspect booked in Clay
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – A Lake City man was extradited from the Putnam County Jail on July 23 to be officially booked in Clay County on multiple charges of burglary to a business and petit theft.
The arrest of Christopher Randell 2 Dickey, 27, comes after a string of burglaries that span across much of the Southeastern United States, with warrants for his arrest filed from multiple agencies.
The first of these burglaries took place in the early morning hours of September 11, 2016, when Dickey allegedly entered Strickland’s Food Mart on Kingsley Lake Drive. Once inside, Dickey attempted to steal the cash register. He failed but managed to steal the cash box attached to the bottom of register. It was estimated that this item was valued at $100. A cash box matching the description of this one was found in Dickey’s residence after a search warrant was served by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
On the same day, Dickey stole a cash register, food and tobacco products from the Country Convenience Store on U.S. Highway 17 in Green Cove Springs. On October 5, 2016, after a warrant for Dickey’s arrest was filed, a Clay County Sheriff’s Office Detective contacted Dickey and attempted to question him. Dickey refused to answer any of their questions.
On March 31, 2017, when the affidavit for Dickey’s arrest warrant was signed, it was stated that Dickey was still incarcerated in the Columbia County Jail for multiple burglary charges filed by multiple agencies.
Two of those burglaries Dickey was incarcerated for occurred on September 13, 2016. At 1:15 a.m., police responded to an alarm at the Domino’s Pizza on Blanding Boulevard in Orange Park. It isn’t clear what Dickey stole from this business, but according to the warrant, he attempted to steal money from the cash register and store safe. A few hours later, Dickey burglarized the Vintage Market business on Blanding Boulevard in Orange Park where he stole a cash box.
On July 23, 2018, Dickey was transported from the Putnam County Jail to the Clay County Detention Facility and booked on charges of burglary to business and petit theft. At press time, he remained in the Clay County Jail with bond set at $70,019.

Deputies chase stolen forklift to 103rd Street
JACKSONVILLE – Bond is set at $29,010 for a Jacksonville man that deputies chased approximately 8 miles all the way from Filmore Street and Blanding Boulevard to 103rd Street in Jacksonville around 1 a.m. on July 22.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office charged Nicolas Aron Powell, 22, with grand theft valued at $20,000-99,000, DUI, fleeing and eluding police, refusing to submit to a DUI balance test, driving with a suspended or revoked license and trespassing on a posted construction site after he allegedly stole a forklift and drove it all the way into Jacksonville on Blanding Boulevard.
According to the police report, the chase began around 12:50 a.m. when someone called the sheriff’s office to report a man driving a forklift down the middle of Blanding Boulevard taking up two lanes. The caller said it appeared the driver did not appear to be a construction worker and was believed to have been drinking a beer while driving, however, it was later determined that he was holding a water bottle instead.
The chase came to an end when Powell reached 6913 103rd St. when he turned down Harlow Road and parked the forklift in a grassy lot, police said.
While in police custody, Powell refused not only the field sobriety balance test, but refused to provide a urine sample to allow police to check his blood alcohol content. Despite being intoxicated, police said, Powell also recorded zeros when they performed the breath analyzer test.
The CCSO report stated Powell told police he was employed at Wilkinson Junior High, however, the school district said it had no record of his employment.
At press time, he remained in the Clay County Jail.

Police seize $20,000 in traffic stop
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Court officials set the bond at $250,003 for a Green Cove Springs man for charges of cocaine possession.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested John Emory Mills III, 38, on July 18 at 5 p.m. after a drug-sniffing dog alerted officers that his car contained drugs.
The traffic stop took place in the 3600 block of U.S. Highway 17 on Fleming Island after CCSO
Received calls about a man speeding down Park Avenue weaving in and out of traffic. According to the CCSO report, Mills was witnessed running a red light at Wells Road and Park Avenue and then headed south cutting cars off in traffic.
Police said Mills barely avoided an accident on the Doctors Lake Bridge when other drivers had to slam their brakes to prevent hitting the median.
A search of Mills’ F-150 pickup uncovered $20,000 in cash and an undisclosed amount of cocaine. He is charged with trafficking between 28 grams and 150 kilograms of the illicit drug.
At press time, he remained in the Clay County Jail where he was taken after the traffic stop.