Man charged with solicitation of minor
David Miguel Medina, 39, of Ridgeland, has been arrested on two charges connected to the solicitation of a minor.
Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office made the arrest.
Investigators say Medina sent nude images to the minor victim and solicited him for sex via social media.
Medina was arrested on June 16. He is being is charged with one count of criminal solicitation of a minor, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in jail; and one count of disseminating obscene material to a person under age 18, also a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years in jail.
The case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.
Officials ask for help in solving crime
On June 24, 1972, Michael Steven Akey, 14, was reportedly abducted by an unknown white man driving a 1962-63 four-door Chevrolet near a watermelon patch at Trammell’s Market. In 1972, Trammell’s Market was located in the area of Joe Frazier Road and Godwin Road in Burton.
At the time of the abduction, he was in the company of two juvenile friends and all three were hitching and caught a ride with the subject.
While two were stealing watermelons, the subject drove off with Akey in the vehicle. Akey was not seen alive again.
The juvenile witnesses were unable to provide the identity of the subject.
On Feb. 8, 1978, workers discovered skeletal remains while clearing land near Whitehall Plantation on Lady’s Island. The remains were examined by a forensic pathologist and anthropologist and using existing available technology, it was believed the remains were those of Akey and he was interred in Beaufort National Cemetery.
On Aug. 24, 2005, the remains were exhumed for mitochondrial DNA analysis to firmly establish the remains were in fact Akey. The FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Va., performed the analysis and concluded the remains were of Akey.
A reward of up to $2,500 is offered for information leading to an arrest in any Beaufort County cold case.
During some criminal investigations, investigators might exhaust all credible leads in a case. When this happens, the case can become stagnant or what is typically known as “cold.” However, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is making theses cold case files accessible to the public in hopes that someone might come forward with information that may not have yet been uncovered.
If you have any information regarding this unsolved cold case, contact Capt. Bob Bromage at 843-255-3402, 843-816-8013 or robertb@bcgov.net. To remain anonymous and collect a possible reward, call Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC (274-6372).
No matter how insignificant it may seem, any information offered in reference to a cold case could prove to be the missing link needed to solve the case.
Man wanted on outstanding warrants
Jose Luis Mancilla-DeJesus is wanted by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office on three active warrants.
He is 38 years old, 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs 110 pounds.
His last known address is in Bluffton. Mancilla-DeJesus may be driving a silver Nissan Frontier with SC tag FTD993.
Anyone with information can contact Cpl. C. LaVan at 843-255-3313 or Beaufort County Dispatch at 843-524-2777.
To remain anonymous and collect a possible reward, call Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC (274-6372).
Men wanted in alleged jewelry theft
At about 2:30 p.m. on June 18, the pictured suspects entered Zales jewelry store at 1414 Fording Island Road in Bluffton and looked at merchandise for approximately 10 minutes.
They then asked to examine a ring. As one of the men put the ring on his finger, both men fled the store.
They were seen getting into a silver four-door Toyota with a Georgia tag, driven by a black female.
Anyone with information about these individuals, can contact D/S Cushman at 843-255-3309 orl Beaufort County Dispatch at 843-524-2777.
To remain anonymous and collect a possible reward, call Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC (274-6372).
County improves public communication
In the wake of Hurricane Matthew and in the interest of providing a consistent message, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with other governmental and public utility entities serving Beaufort County, has made improvements to public information.
In the event of an emergency or natural disaster, the county primarily communicates with the public via e-mail and text through its NIXLE alert and advisory system, which links to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
County officials are asking residents to visit www.bcso.net and subscribe to the NIXLE alert and advisory system to receive up-to-date information from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
In addition, there will be an alert link at www.bcso.net, where those who have not subscribed to NIXLE can also access information.
Sheriff’s office looking for dispatchers
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is seeking 911 dispatchers.
These 911 dispatchers are the heartbeat of the nation’s 911 system and are the professionals called upon to ensure that Beaufort County citizens receive the best emergency communications and dispatch services by remaining calm, gathering information and providing assistance to individuals in need.
911 dispatcher jobs require excellent communication skills and the ability to work under stressful situations. 911 operators take all applicable information from the caller, including details and the address of the emergency. While gathering information, 911 operators are then able to dispatch the appropriate agency personnel to assist the needs of the caller.
911 dispatcher jobs require candidates with some technical savvy, as they will be responsible for operating advanced emergency communications systems through their computers.
To learn more about becoming an emergency services dispatcher, visit www.bcso.net/Employment/Job%20Descriptions/Dispatcher.php.
