MOULTRIE, Ga. — A Colquitt County teen-ager’s parents let him learn a lesson from the school of hard knocks in very literal fashion on Tuesday, declining to press charges against a neighbor who apparently struck the boy in retaliation for stealing his phone.

A deputy was dispatched at 9:08 p.m. Tuesday to the 200 block of Dandron Road where he found a 16-year-old with a minor abrasion to the right side of his head, according to the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office.

When the officer got in touch with the teen’s mother and stepfather, they initially refused to respond, but the latter eventually went to the officer’s location. There, the stepfather told paramedics the boy did not need to go to the hospital for treatment.

The mother continued to refuse to meet with the other parties, but by phone she told police that she did not wish to prosecute the teen’s assailant because the teen had stolen his cell phone.

Several witnesses also told police that the teen stole the phone. The neighbor who reportedly struck the teen was not at the scene, police said.

The deputy notified the stepmother and the teen’s brother that if the mother changes her mind about pressing charges she could contact Colquitt County Magistrate Court.

In another reported battery case, Shirley Willis, 500 block Clarence Jones Road, reported Sunday that a female acquaintance pushed her in the stomach and slapped a woman who tried to restrain the acquaintance.

Arrests

Sheriff’s Office

• Marlyn Jermaine Spradley, 37, 857 Sardis Church Road, was charged Wednesday with criminal trespass.

• Juamarino White, 37, 413 10th Ave. S.E., was charged Tuesday with failure to appear.

• Stephanie Collins Searcy, 8849 Hwy. 111, was charged Tuesday with battery.

• Kristy Nicole Weldon, 33, 182 Cool Springs Church Road, Norman Park, was charged Tuesday with forgery.

Moultrie Police

• Mark Newpoff, 50, was charged Tuesday with duty to obey police officer.

Bench warrant

Sheriff’s Office

• Courtney Carter, 29, 132 Adams St., Pavo.

Fraud

Sheriff’s Office

• Jonathon Dennison, 1500 block New York Road, Leesburg, reported Tuesday credit card fraud totaling $14,000.

Dennison suspects a Colquitt County residence of being involved in the incident.

Entering auto

Sheriff’s Office

• Lacey Horne, 200 block Chambers Road, reported Tuesday the theft of an iPhone 7 Plus valued at $560 from a 2017 Nissan Quest parked in 100 block of East Mulberry Street, Funston.

Other investigations

Sheriff’s Office

• Nneka Simpson, 100 block Vinson Road, reported Tuesday that a bullet struck her residence.

Simpson showed police a hole in the window and where the bullet struck the ceiling, traveled along the surface and stopped in a piece of wood trim above her bedroom door.