One man wounded in Burton shooting
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting incident that occurred on Aug. 5 at a residence on Sonya Faye Lane in Burton.
An adult male was wounded at the residence and drove himself to a convenience store near Roseida Road, where he made contact with a deputy sheriff in the parking lot. The deputy immediately requested Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to respond. EMS personnel arrived, rendered aid to the wounded man and transported him to Beaufort Memorial Hospital for treatment.
Around the same time the wounded man drove up to the convenience store, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Dispatch received a 911 call from an adult man at the residence on Sonya Faye Lane, where the shooting incident occurred. Deputies responded to the residence and secured the scene.
Further details were not available and the incident remains under investigation.
Anyone with information is urged to call 911 or CrimeStoppers 1-888-CrimeSC to remain anonymous and for possible reward.
Help sought in 2016 cold case
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in solving a cold case.
Marquise Tyquan Singleton was located on Sam Doyle Drive in his vehicle suffering from multiple gunshot wounds at about 10:29 p.m. July 31, 2016. He later died from his injuries at Beaufort Memorial Hospital. No witnesses to the incident have been identified nor have any suspects been developed.
A motive for Singleton’s murder remains unclear as he had few known enemies.
A reward of up to $2,500 is offered for information leading to an arrest in any Beaufort County cold case.
Anyone with information can call Capt. Bob Bromage at 843-255-3402, 843-816-8013 or by email at robertb@bcgov.net.
To remain anonymous and collect a possible reward, call CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC (274-6372).
Smoke detector alerts family; no injuries
A smoke detector alerted an elderly couple to a fire underneath their home, not only allowing them to escape, but also allowing for an early notification to the fire department.
The Burton Fire District responded to the possible house fire just before 9 p.m. on Aug. 5 on Thomasina Drive in Burton.
Firefighters from the nearby Habersham fire station arrived on the scene, and while everything looked safe from the front of the residence, when firefighters walked around the side they found smoke coming from underneath the mobile home.
Firefighters were quickly able to extinguish the fire under the home, and then searched the home with thermal imaging to confirm that the fire did not spread inside. Damages were minor and the fire is believed to have started when arching wires, possibly damaged by rodents, ignited the home’s insulation.
Firefighters also assisted in removing smoke from the home and installed two new smoke detectors for the elderly couple.
Burton fire officials stress that not only did working smoke detectors alert this elderly couple early and allowed them time to escape, but also alerted them early enough to call 911 and for firefighters to respond in enough time to limit damages.
Man suspected of stealing cars arrested
A man suspected of stealing cars from Hilton Head to Hardeeville has been arrested.
Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office SWAT deputies took Thomas Akeem Bryan, 30, from his residence at 27-C Oakview Road on Hilton Head Island. He was taken into custody on active felony bench warrants from Jasper County.
Bryan was taken to the Beaufort County Detention Center and incarcerated on the authority of the Jasper County bench warrants. No injuries were reported in his arrest.
Suspect wanted on warrants turns self in
Jeffrey Grant, 27, of Beaufort, who was wanted on arrest warrants for unlawful carrying of a pistol and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine that stemmed from an investigation into the April 9 shooting incident at the Grays Hill Community Center, turned himself in on July 28 in Beaufort.
Grant was transported to the Beaufort County Detention Center. His bonds were set at $5,000 for the unlawful carrying of a pistol charge and $10,000 for the possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine charge. He has since posted bond and was released.
Shed fires comes close to home
The City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department responded to a 911 report at about 10:30 a.m. July 16 of a structure fire at #4 Twin Lakes Road.
Initial reports were that a shed was on fire and it was “3 feet” from the main home.
Arriving crews found an approximately 12-by-30 foot shed ablaze with fire coming out of the front door. The shed was determined to share an attachment point at the eves of the shed roof and the roof of the home at the far end of the shed, furthest from the origin of the fire.
The homeowner had attempted to extinguish the fire with a garden hose but was unsuccessful.
“The first crews on scene stretched an attack line from the department’s 85-foot quint fire apparatus, and used the ladder trucks and on board water supply to fully control the fire,” according to Battalion Chief Scott Robinson.
Firefighters remained on the scene for approximately 1.5 hours conducting final extinguishment and an origin and cause investigation. The origin was determined to be in the workbench area of the shed but the cause was undetermined.
“We were not able to rule out electrical as the cause, but there was not enough physical evidence left after the fire consumed what was on the bench to pinpoint the exact cause,” said Capt. John Robinson, the on-scene fire investigator.
“I am always proud of the firefighters when they successfully extinguish a fire and perform their duties on days like this” said Chief Reece Bertholf. “With temperatures on the rise, humidity off the charts and heat indices on the top end of the scale, this work takes a toll on the firefighters. They did a great job and no one was hurt or injured. That is always our goal.”
Over 750 scams reported first half of the year
The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (SCDCA) recently released its latest scam report, highlighting the top reported scams in South Carolina during the first and second quarters of 2017.
SCDCA’s Identity Theft Unit fielded over 750 scam report calls between Jan. 1 and June 30.
Over half of the reported scams were imposter scams (46 percent), while debt collection and sweepstakes scams tied for second place with 11 percent each.
In total, consumers reported actual losses of over $750,000 from scams, and the potential loss of more than $760,000 by those who did not fall victim to the scams they reported.
Scam reporting is an important step in helping SCDCA empower consumers to recognize and avoid scams. To report a scam, obtain a copy of “Ditch the Pitch: A Guide Guarding Against Scams,” call 844-835-5322or visit www.consumer.sc.gov.
