Theft on Edgefield Road – Possible Suspects Identified Through Traffic Stop

A resident of a home on Edgefield Road contacted the Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office, Tuesday, August 26, to report a theft at his home.  According to the ECSO report, the man told law enforcement that he was taking a nap when he was awakened by the sound of squealing tires.  The man said he looked out of his window and observed a white SUV driving recklessly toward the town of Edgefield.  The man also observed an ECSO deputy conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle at Billy’s Gas Station which is located across the street from the man’s home.  The man stated that after the traffic stop was completed, he went to his barn behind his home and found that the barn door had been forced open.  He then discovered that a hand held leaf blower, two chainsaws, and a chop saw had been taken from the premises.  In all, the stolen items were valued at over $1,000.

The deputy who made the traffic stop on the white SUV was subsequently contacted, and he confirmed that he did see a hand held blower in the back of the SUV along with various other tools.  From this information, two possible suspects in this crime, both from Gaston, SC, have been identified.  Evidence was collected from the scene, and this case has been turned over to the investigative unit of the ECSO.

Interestingly, another ECSO report details how, prior to the traffic stop, a man matching the description of one of the suspects in above case was reported to the ECSO by a resident of another home on Augusta Road after he knocked on her door and she refused to open the door for him.  In that incident, the report states the woman heard knocking and saw a man she described as being white and wearing very dirty clothing at her door. When she refused to open the door, the woman said the man yelled obscenities at her and then left the scene in a white SUV.  After a vehicle matching her description was stopped at Billy’s, the woman was called to the scene to identify the man.  The woman identified the passenger of the vehicle as being the man who knocked on her door.  The two men were then placed on trespass notice from the woman’s residence.

Thieves Hit Casalina Drive – Suspects Caught After Running Car Into Ditch

Thieves broke into three vehicles and a storage building at two different residences on Casalina Drive, Tuesday, August 26.  However, the suspected culprits were soon captured after they accidentally ran their vehicle into a ditch on the same roadway.  According to an Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office report regarding the incident, law enforcement was called to a residence on Casalina Drive after it was discovered a storage shed had been entered by unknown subjects via a side window.  Also at that same home, two vehicles, both of which were left unlocked, were entered and their contents gone through.  At the time, it was believed that only a set of approximately 10 or more keys was missing from this scene.

After responding law enforcement departed from this scene, the ECSO deputy noticed two white males trying to free a blue Chevy car from a ditch on Casalina Drive.  However, before contact could be made with the two, a resident from another home on the roadway flagged down the deputy to tell him that her mother’s vehicle had been broken into and an unknown amount of cds as well as some personal papers had been taken from it.

Leaving this scene, deputies approached the two males whose vehicle was stuck in the ditch.  The pair was described as acting nervously when the deputies arrived and as being under the influence of an unknown type of drug.  The men identified themselves to law enforcement and said they had accidentally run the vehicle into the ditch.  One of the men claimed the vehicle was his, but when the auto’s information was run through dispatch it was determined the car was registered to another person.  Due to their behavior and the discrepancy with the vehicle’s ownership, the two were detained by the responding deputies.  The pair gave consent to the deputies to search the vehicle, however, they warned the deputies that is was possible syringes might be found inside.  However, upon searching the car, deputies found, in plain view, the set of keys that had earlier been reported stolen from the first Casalina Drive residence and an unknown amount of cds thought to have been taken from the second Casalina Drive home that reported a break-in.  Also found in the car were vehicle insurance papers taken from the second Casalina Drive residence and a leaf blower and pink purse that were later determined to have been taken from the first reporting residence on the road.

The suspects in this case, Martin Britt, 29 of Aiken, SC, and Ben Baker, 28 of Belvedere, SC, were transported from the scene to Edgefield County Hospital due to their being under the influence of an unknown drug.  They were later released and removed to the Edgefield County Detention Center.  Both have been charged with one count of Burglary 3^rd, four counts of petit larceny, and three counts of breaking and entering into an automobile.