Manhunt Launched for Suspected Convenience Store Shooter (Updated)
A manhunt is underway for the suspect in a shooting and armed robbery attempt that occurred at a Greenville convenience store Tuesday night.
The incident occurred around 9:25 pm Tuesday night at the Kangaroo convenience store on Rutherford Road. Authorities tell News Channel 7 that a person has been shot, but the injuries do not appear to be life threatening.
Greenville County Sheriff’s deputies are joined by Greenville Police officers in the search for the suspected shooter. The Greenville County Sheriff’s K-9 Unit is also involved in the search.
The suspected shooter is male and wore a mask over his face, authorities told WYFF4.
Deputies say it was a store clerk who was shot, and that the bullet tore all the way through his leg. He declined treatment for his injury.
Investigators with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office believe this robbery and shooting are connected to a string of similar crimes in the county. At least two Greenville Dragnet writers were overheard saying, “Yeah, no kidding.”
Man Attacked Behind Chick-Fil-A in Taylors
A man was reportedly assaulted Monday evening while walking behind a Chick-Fil-A on Wade Hampton Blvd. in Taylors.
The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office says the assault happened around 7:30 behind the Chick-Fil-A, located at 2801 Wade Hampton Boulevard. A Sheriff’s Office spokesman says that the man appeared to be walking from a nearby trailer park when he was attacked by a man.
The assailant is described as “a black male wearing a “Starter” jacket,” according to News Channel 7. He fled in a 1989-1990 Toyota Camry.
Pot Smoking Vandals Attack Christmas Decorations in Simpsonville
Four 17-year-old boys, seemingly under the influence of marijuana, caused nearly $1,000 worth of damage to Simpsonville residents’ Christmas displays before being pulled over for driving erratically. Police found marijuana on two of the teens and all were charged with malicious damage of private property.
From WYFF:
SIMPSONVILLE, S.C. — Deputies said that four teenagers are accused of destroying Christmas decorations at several Simpsonville homes.
Greenville County deputies said that they were investigating a report of damage done to a 6-foot tall snowman on Dylan Oaks drive when they saw a dark-color SUV driving erratically on Wolf Run Road.
Deputies stopped the SUV and said they determined that the four 17 year olds in it were responsible for the damage.
Wesley Batson, Hayden Calvert, Zachery Mauldin and Matthew Trojan, all of Simpsonville, are charged with malicious damage to personal property. Batson and Calvert are also charged with possession of marijuana. Deputies said that they found the marijuana after the teens were arrested.
WYFF also has a listing of the damage just in case some kind hearted readers would like to help the families replace their decorations. They also have the mugshots of the teens so that you can shake your heads ruefully at them if you see them out and about. Public shaming works people, let’s get to it.
Fox Carolina has video.
Whereabouts Unknown: 441 Georgia Sex Offenders Go Missing
Child molesters, rapists, and kidnappers are among the 441 registered sex offenders authorities in Georgia are unable to locate. And with parts of Georgia less than 50 miles from Greenville, the peach state’s missing sex offenders could be our problem too.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation maintains the state’s sex offender registry, and is charged with keeping tabs on over 17,000 offenders. Authorities have lost track of almost 250 registered sex offenders just from metro Atlanta, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The AJC piece focuses heavily on the plight of much maligned sex offenders who simply want to live in peace. Anyone have a barf bag?
Authorities claim that citizens need not be concerned about the large number of absconders since the majority of victims know their attackers.
“The people on the registry are not the ones to be concerned about,” said John Bankhead, a spokesman for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which maintains the sex offender registry. “It’s the ones who live right up under your nose. Stranger-on-stranger sex crimes do happen. But most cases involve people the victim already knows.”
Studies commissioned by the U.S. Justice Department suggest that children are more likely to be sexually assaulted by family members, baby sitters or authority figures such as teachers or coaches than by strangers. One analysis found that in 60 percent of cases in which boys were the victims and in 80 percent involving girls, the child knew the assailant.
But it’s easier to present statistics neatly wrapped and tied with a bow than it is to explain to distraught parents that a known sexual predator has their missing child. Nearly ten percent of registered sex offenders in the Atlanta area are off the radar of Georgia authorities, and any one of them could be creating new statistics at this very moment. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is publishing pages torn right from the playbook of pedophile rights activists. What’s next? A sympathetic paean to NAMBLA?
Accused Wal-Mart Shoplifter Caught After Police Chase
If you have multiple outstanding warrants for your arrest, ripping off a Wal-Mart and committing a carjacking to make your escape probably isn’t the best idea. Apparently 35-year-old Illya Salter could have used that advice this afternoon.
Police said the suspect swung a pair of scissors at a worker who tried to detain him for shoplifting at a Wal-Mart on 6134 White Horse Road, according to warrants. The suspect then forced a man from his silver 2004 Toyota Camry, a warrant said. Deputies pursued the suspect in a brief car chase before he crashed into a tree on Sumter Street, said Lt. Scott Wilson of the Greenville County Sherriff’s Office.
During the chase, Salter reportedly hit several vehicles. One person had to be hospitalized, deputies said. WYFF4 spoke to witnesses at the scene:
Witnesses said police eventually used a Taser to subdue Salter.
“When he made the left, he couldn’t make it,” said Gary Stokes. “He skidded on rubber on one tire gone and went under the fence. I went out the back door and jumped the fence to see where he was while they were chasing him.”
Salter is being held at Greenville County Detention Center. Inmate holds indicate he was wanted in connection with fraud involving Anderson County Bank and a shoplifting and assault in Greer. Charges pending as of 9:30 p.m. Saturday included forgery, two counts of armed robbery, possessing a weapon during a violent crime, shoplifting, trespassing, carjacking, driving under suspension, and failure to stop for a blue light.
Salter is expected back in court on Feb. 26, 2010.