By Heather Ruppe
A Colleton County deputy is being honored for his quick thinking that helped to arrest a thief who blew up a local bank’s ATM. On Dec. 25, 2021, a would-be thief used explosives on an ATM in an effort to steal cash. Lt. George Rioux of the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office responded to Enterprise Bank on Edisto Island. Using a description of the suspect and his vehicle, Rioux contacted Charleston County authorities and gave them a possible identification on the suspect and his car. “This information led to a confirmed identification and ultimate arrests of both the bombing suspect and his accomplice,” said Kristin Graziano, sheriff of Charleston County Sheriff’s Office. Graziano met with Rioux on May 27 and gave him a plaque, thanking him for his help in solving this case. During that ceremony, Rioux was also honored for his service to the community. “You also assisted in coordinating searches and arrests of both suspects in Colleton County,” Graziano said, about Rioux. “Without your assistance, the case may not have come to such a swift conclusion.”
