Teen shot in drive-by shooting
By HEATHER WALTERS
Several juveniles were taken into custody after allegedly being involved in a drive-by shooting that resulted in one juvenile being shot.
According to a Colleton County Sheriff’s Office incident report, law enforcement officers with the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office are actively investigating the shooting, which occurred on Jan. 23 near Green Pond. The initial 911-call was dispatched during the funeral for Colleton County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Ed Marcurella, who died last week from complications related to COVID-19 (see related story in this issue). Because multiple other law enforcement agencies were in Walterboro on Saturday for this officers’ funeral, local deputies received back-up and assistance from other area law enforcement offices, including deputies from the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, who helped Colleton deputies in the apprehension and arrest of the suspects.
According to a sheriff’s office incident report, a vehicle drove-by the residence, with the juvenile suspects firing from that vehicle toward the house. One teenage juvenile at the house was struck. He was transported to Colleton Medical Center for treatment. According to Colleton County Fire-Rescue Director Barry McRoy, the victim was “very stable” when he was transported for treatment.
The vehicle fled the scene, resulting in a brief chase along Green Pond Highway.
Five juveniles were taken into custody and are suspected in the crime. The ages of those suspects range from 12 years old to 17 years old. Because the suspects are juveniles, their names cannot be released, and no other information on this incident is available at this time. The case is still active.
Loiter found with drugs, illegal gun
A man found loitering near a storage locker in Walterboro on Jan. 22 was ultimately arrested for having meth and a handgun. Deputies with the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office were called to the Sniders Highway business when someone spotted the man loitering. According to a sheriff’s office incident, the suspect did not have a reason to be at the storage facility.
During an investigation into what the man was doing at the facility, the deputies’ K9 gave a positive alert to drugs being in the man’s car. Methamphetamine was discovered, along with a handgun, an incident report states. Since the man is already a convicted felon, he is not legally allowed to have the gun. The man has been charged with the unlawful carrying of a handgun, possession of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Round O storage shed burglarized
Law enforcement officers with the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of stolen property last week when a Round O homeowner called 911 to report that someone had taken multiple items from his storage shed. According to a Colleton County Sheriff’s Office incident report, the victim said a suspect broke into a storage shed on his property and stole multiple items. The potential suspect has been identified, the report states. More than half-of-a-dozen items were stolen, including a washing machine, a bed frame and a window air conditioning unit.
Armed Robbery under investigation
Investigators are searching for two suspects who robbed the Pak-A-Sak II convenience store in Walterboro on Jan. 23. According to a Colleton County Sheriff’s Office incident report, the armed suspects entered the Sidneys Road store and robbed the clerk at gunpoint. The men demanded money from the cashier, snatched cash from the cash register and then fled the scene. Both suspects are described as black men, ages 20-35. This case is still active.
Dog fight leads to neighbor dispute
Deputies were called to a Colleton County residence on Jan. 24 when neighbors began fighting over their dogs. That argument resulted in one of the neighbors pointing a gun at the other. According to a Colleton County Sheriff’s Office incident report, the two Walterboro neighbors began arguing after their dogs got into a fight. One of the neighbors pointed a firearm at the other and made threats, the report states. The victim declined to press charges. Colleton County Animal Control officers were also called to the scene: those officers issued citations regarding the dog fight, the report states.
