Happy Ending in Greenville Kidnapping
Update, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010: [Police believe they have identified the kidnapper/auto thief as 38-year-old Ronald Jermaine Epps. Warrants have been issued for his arrest. More information available here.]
But only because the kidnapper was of the accidental variety, as in he was looking to boost a car and happened to pick one with a sort of anti-lagniappe inside. From WYFF:
GREENVILLE, S.C. — The person who stole a truck from a Greenville County convenience store got quite a surprise after he took off: a 10 month old baby was inside.
Deputies said the initial call came in as a stolen truck and kidnapping at about 1:45 a.m. Monday.
It all started when a grandmother was taking her 10-month-old granddaughter for a car ride to get her to sleep, deputies said. The grandmother stopped to get coffee at a Spinx Burger King located at 1520 S. Pleasantburg Drive, and left the truck running with the baby inside, they said.
While she was inside the store, investigators said someone got in her truck and drove off.
Deputies think the thief didn’t know the baby was in the truck because they said a short time later the driver stopped at a random house on Piedmont Highway. The thief told the people who lived there that he was with the sheriff’s department, and left the baby with them, investigators said.
The baby was unharmed and was reunited with her family.
Fox Carolina is reporting that though gentle with the baby the suspect is most definitely hard on cars, since he’s going through them so quickly:
While deputies were talking to the grandmother, a parent of the child arrived at the store and gave deputies the child’s personal information. As they were talking, investigators learned that the child had been dropped off at 428 Piedmont Highway.
The two people at the Piedmont residence said a man had come to the door with the girl in the car seat and told them he was with the sheriff’s department and handed them the baby. He then fled again in the stolen vehicle.
EMS crews went to the residence and said the child was in good health and unharmed and the girl was returned to her parents.
The stolen pickup was recovered later Monday morning in a wooded area near a residence on Englewood Drive.
The resident, Virgie Ashmore, called the Sheriff’s Office at 7:37 a.m. Monday to report that someone had left the stolen Nissan truck in the woods near his house and then stolen his burgundy 1992 Oldsmobile Cutlass from his driveway. The car has the tag CDG-163. The vehicle also has a “Buckle up with Jesus” tag on the front.
Ashmore believes there were several people in the truck when it was abandoned but he did not see who stole his car.
Investigators believe that the man who stole the pickup is the same man who stole Ashmore’s car.
Investigators described the man as black, wearing jeans, a gray hooded sweatshirt and a dark brown jacket.
Anyone who has information in connection with these cases is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 23-CRIME.
If you were one of the millions of people taking up survivalism you would call this whole incident a failure of OpSec, or operational security. These days you have to lock your car even if you’re just running into a store for a minute. Most importantly, you have to keep children with you at all times, at least within arm’s reach. This time it was pure luck that the “kidnapper” was just some joyrider (although many armed robbers use stolen vehicles as getaway cars) with enough conscience to make sure the baby lived through his crime.
The next time who knows?
Deputies Arrest Joseph Raymond Poole II, Violent Carjacking Suspect
One of Greenville County’s Most Wanted was apprehended near Bob Jones University tonight following a high speed chase on Wade Hampton Blvd. Joseph Raymond Poole II was taken into custody after stop sticks were used to slow down the stolen vehicle he was driving. He abandoned the car and was captured by deputies a short time later.
WYFF4 has more:
Deputies said they caught Joseph Pool II after a police chase on Highway 91. Poole was spotted in a car that police said he stole earlier in the morning from Train Auto Sales on 1127 N. Pleasantburg Drive.
Police said the chase went from North Pleasantburg to Wade Hampton Boulevard.
Joseph Poole is being charged with strong-armed robbery, carjacking, and grand larceny, according to Fox Carolina. A high profile manhunt for Poole began Thursday after he carjacked and beat a 68-year-old woman in the parking lot of the Cherrydale Shopping Center. No word on whether Poole will face charges for the assault.
Manhunt Underway in Taylors for Violent Suspect Joseph Raymond Poole II (Updated)
38-year-old Joseph Raymond Poole II is Greenville County’s latest addition to the Crime Stoppers Most Wanted List. Poole is a repeat criminal offender with a 25 page rap sheet. A manhunt is currently underway near Meece Bridge Road and Reid School Road in Taylors.
Poole is suspected in a carjacking that took place at Cherrydale Shopping Center this morning. Investigators believe he struck a 68-year-old woman in the head multiple times before fleeing the scene in her vehicle, a red 1992 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme with the South Carolina license plate AIZ570.
Poole will face charges of strong arm robbery, carjacking, and grand larceny in connection with today’s crime, but he was already a wanted man. News Channel 7 reports:
Poole has been charged with burglary and grand larceny in connection with an incident at the Travelers Rest Tire and Muffler Shop between November 2-3. On November 4, Bo Nats, a business on Poinsett Highway in Greenville County was broken into and deputies say that Poole was responsible for that incident and have charged him with second-degree burglary and petit larceny.
Investigators with the Sheriff’s Office Auto Theft unit have charged Poole with grand larceny and possession of a stolen vehicle after Poole allegedly stole a vehicle from a family member on two seperate occasions. Poole has also been charged with failure to stop for a blue light and driving under suspension after an incident on Stallings Road on November 13.
During that incident, a Sheriff’s deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Poole, who was operating the vehicle that he had just reportedly stolen from the family on Meece Bridge Road. Poole allegedly disregarded the deputies attempt to pull him over and recklessly fled the area without concern for the safety of others.
Joseph Poole’s behavior has become increasingly aggressive, and area residents are urged to contact the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office (864-467-5300) or Crime Stoppers (23-CRIME) with any information. Crime Stoppers is offering up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest.
Update, 11/20/09:
[On Friday morning Greenville Police recovered the 1992 red Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme stolen by Joseph Poole during Thursday's carjacking. The search for Poole is still underway.]
Update 2, 11/20/09:
[Joseph Poole has been arrested near Bob Jones University. Please read our latest update for further details.]
“Teen” Steals Father’s Truck, Crashes it in Police Chase
And by teen, we mean a 19-year-old man who has already had his license suspended and is old enough to know better. From WYFF:
Police Chief Lance Crowe said one of his officers turned out of the hospital and noticed Bradley Long driving 20 miles over the speed limit. She followed him until he got off on a side road, Crowe said. The officer said the teenager got back on the highway after she passed by him, which made her suspicious. She turned on her blue lights to pull him over, and that’s when the chief said Long sped off.
Crowe said Long crashed in a ditch soon after he took off. He was able to get his truck out of the ditch, but hit the front end of the officer’s car. Another chase began, but ended when he crashed a second time, Crowe said.
Long tried to escape, but the officer used a Taser to stop him. Back-up arrived and the teenager was taken into custody, according to the chief.
Crowe said Long was booked at the Greenville County jail. The chief said Long might have been trying to get away because he was driving with a suspended license and did not have permission to use his father’s truck, which was badly damaged in the chase.
Something tells me Bradley Long is in big trouble. How scary does your father have to be for you to crash a truck twice in a police chase and still try to run off when the only thing you’ve done wrong is taken your dad’s truck? I guess not quite scary enough to straighten this idiot out.
Catalytic Converters Stolen from Cars Parked in Jeff Lynch Appliance Center Parking Lot
With precious metals prices skyrocketing and South Carolina unemployment near 12% catalytic converters are a tempting target for thieves who are likely getting more than the $150 apiece cited in the article below.
From WYFF4:
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Police are looking for two people who stole the catalytic converters from three vehicles parked at Jeff Lynch Appliance and TV Center.
Last Sunday, a Jeff Lynch employee called police to report that the catalytic converter, valued at $750, had been cut from his vehicle, along with those from two other vehicles.
Investigators said the converters were cut from the vehicles with a tool that left no jagged edges.
A white Dodge Magnum with tinted windows and a South Carolina was seen on surveillance video near the vehicles. Two people were also caught on camera moving back and forth between the vehicles.
Catalytic converters are stolen and sold for a small amount of precious metals in them. They can cost thousands to replace, but stolen ones are generally sold for about $150.
Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 23-CRIME.
If you’re parking somewhere long term make sure it’s in a visible area. Looks like an investment in a car alarm might be a prudent idea.