Stolen gun found on suspect during unrelated arrest
By HEATHER RUPPE
A man wanted by local authorities was captured over the weekend, leading officers to find a weapon that had been stolen in another crime.
According to an incident report filed with the Walterboro Police Department, an officer with the Walterboro Police Department was on routine patrol on Feb. 10th along Wichman Street when he spotted the offender: the officer stated in his report that he knew the 21-year-old man was wanted and had an active arrest warrant. The suspect was taken into custody. During a pat down, the officer discovered a loaded 9mm handgun in the pocket of the suspect’s hooked jacket. The gun was seized and a search of the gun’s serial number revealed it had been stolen in another crime that occurred in Colleton County.
The suspect is charged with unlawful carrying of a pistol. This case remains under investigation as more charges could be pending.
Female fails in beer theft attempt
On Jan. 31st, a deputy was called to the IGA in Walterboro because a woman piled beer into a buggy and then pushed it out of the store – without paying. According to a Colleton County Sheriff’s Office incident report, an “older” woman filled a buggy with $200 worth of beer and then proceeded to the parking lot, without paying. The IGA manager went to the parking lot and confronted the female suspect, who then walked away from the buggy and got into a gold car and left. The manager returned the beer to the store and called police. This case is under investigation.
Car theft leads to gun find
Colleton County law enforcement officers were called to Mayfield Terrace area last week to a report of someone trying to steal a vehicle. When they arrived to a car wash, they saw the unoccupied car with no one around the vehicle. The deputies located the owner, who said the car was supposed to be parked in his yard. The officers then noticed a man walking from behind the car wash, near Kogers Mortuary. The man told officers he was walking to the gas station from his house, but he kept his hands inside his waistband the entire time he was talking. Deputies then asked the suspect to be frisked, at which point they found a .38-handgun inside his waistband. While watching video footage from the car wash, officers also saw the man arrive to the car wash in the stolen vehicle. The 18-year-old Walterboro man is charged with unlawful carrying of a handgun, being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen vehicle valued at over $10,000.
Tennessee burglar caught in Walterboro
A female fugitive from justice was captured last week in Walterboro. According to a Colleton County Sheriff’s Office incident report, deputies were near McDonalds in Walterboro when they saw a red Chevrolet parked at a fuel pump: the deputy states in his report that the owner of this vehicle had active arrest warrants. The deputy checked the vehicle license plate, however, and the plate did not match the description of the car it was attached to. After speaking with the driver, the deputy learned the woman was wanted in Tennessee for burglary. She was arrested and will be extradited back to Tennessee.
Child assaults under investigation
Colleton authorities are investigating two separate reports of sexual assault against minors. These incidents are not related. In one case, a juvenile girl told authorities that she was sexually assaulted while in the care of her father, who lives in Colleton County. In a second case and unrelated case, a girl and her mother reported that the girl was assaulted while at house in rural Colleton County, the report states. Both cases are under investigation.
