Suspicious Activity Leads to Arrest at Wiley Place

A report of a suspicious vehicle at Wiley Place in Clarks Hill (Edgefield County) led to an arrest Sunday, Oct. 26. According to an Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office report on the matter, a neighbor of an abandoned residence at the aforementioned address notified law enforcement that a suspicious vehicle was parked behind the vacant residence. Upon arriving on the scene, responding law enforcement observed a white male in his mid-twenties walking from behind the residence carrying an unknown object in his hand. The subject was commanded to drop the object which turned out to be a black flashlight. The subject was then patted down for weapons, but none were found.

When asked by the responding deputy why the man was parked behind the vacant residence, the subject replied that he was looking for a friend’s house. The subject could only provide the deputy with the friend’s first name, Heather, and an initial, E, for a last name. Additionally, he could not tell the deputy where the friend lived, only stating that it was near Sportsman’s Corner. The subject went on to say he had tried to call the friend, but the battery to his cell phone had died, and once he pulled behind the vacant house, he was unable to turn around because the reverse gear in his vehicle was “messed up.” The subject was reminded by the deputy that he drove through a gate clearly marked with at least two “No Trespassing” signs, had driven approximately three quarters of a mile down a private drive passing several places suitable for turning around only to stop behind a home belonging to someone he did not know at 10:00 at night. However, the subject continued to say he was only looking for a place to turn around.

The information for the subject and the vehicle was given to dispatch. The tag on the 1998 Volkswagen the subject was driving came back registered to a 2001 KIA whose owner was identified a woman from North Augusta. When questioned about this, the man told law enforcement that the woman to which the KIA was registered was his girlfriend. He stated that he had recently bought the Volkswagen and was transferring the tag from the KIA but had not yet registered it with the SC Department of Motor Vehicles. The man was unable to provide a bill of sale for the Volkswagen, and law enforcement was unable to make contact with the woman listed as owner of the KIA.

The subject did consent to a search of the vehicle. Inside the vehicle, a gold purse containing an assortment of women’s jewelry was found along with several bags with women’s items inside, radio electronics, and some pry bars.

The subject in this incident was arrested for trespassing after notice and taken to the Edgefield County Detention Center. He was also issued a citation for failure to register a vehicle. It was later determined that the subject was wanted by the SC Department of Pardons and Parole. The vehicle in this incident was towed to the ECSO impound. This case and all evidence collected has been turned over to the investigative unit of the ECSO.

Burglary on Stephens Road

The Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office responded to a burglary on Stephens Road in North Augusta (Edgefield County), Saturday, Oct. 25. According to an ECSO report, a homeowner found entry had been made into her home through a back door that was found left inside the home. Responding law enforcement determined that the storm door on the back porch of the home had been pried open but did not result in any damage to the door. However, the back door was also pried open, but in this case, the door and door frame were damaged. It was also determined that a jewelry box and several pieces of jewelry had been taken from the home. In all, the stolen jewelry and damages were estimated to be $6,000.

This case has been forwarded to the investigative unit of the ECSO.

Trespassing and Attempted Break-in Caught on Camera

An Edgefield County man notified the Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office, Thursday, Oct. 23, of an attempted break-in after he noticed that the door to his shop on Woodlawn Road in Clarks Hill (Edgefield County) had been tampered with. After noting the tampering to the door, the man checked trail cameras that were set up on his property and discovered that the culprits had been caught on video. The video showed two white males standing behind the man’s shed and tampering with his motorcycle. While no items were found to be missing from the property, further investigation did reveal that the hitch to the man’s tractor had been removed. It was found lying on the ground. Also discovered were several footprints around the tractor.

This scene was processed for evidence, and the ECSO is investigating this case.