Then the New Black Panther Party hate cult showed up threatening to cause more racial strife.

And let’s not forget Jesus Lopez, the  “tattoo artist” who put two underage teens in the hospital with staph infections.

Now we have a 35-year-old David Jackson kidnapping his infant son after what police describe as a “vicious” assault on the child’s mother by him and his stable of street walkers, one of whom is only identified as a woman named “Bunny.” Luckily this story had a happy ending (no offense to Jackson’s three “traveling companions”) and little Drake Boyd is home safe and hopefully herpes free.

From Fox Carolina:

NEWBERRY, S.C. — The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said that Drake Boyd has been located and recovered safely. Greene County authorities said his father, David Jackson, is not in custody.

[...]

Deputies said that a trooper stopped to check on an abandoned vehicle found in the emergency lane of eastbound Interstate 26 near mile marker 74 just after 8 a.m. They said that when the trooper ran the vehicle’s license plate number, he discovered the car was stolen from Tennessee and contacted Newberry County deputies.

Investigators said that the vehicle found matched the description of a vehicle believed to be involved in the kidnapping of Drake Boyd from his mother’s home in Greene County, Tenn.

Deputies said that they launched a massive search of the area surrounding the car in an effort to find Drake and the suspect in the case, 35-year-old David Jackson.

Let’s hope they find Jackson soon, before he sics his pack of hookers on some other innocent person.

Judging from his mugshot on Fox Carolina I can tell you one thing that’s probably in the water in Newberry – marijuana.  Funny, you just don’t see people who have embraced sobriety bringing hookers across state lines to attack their baby momma.

SLED officers told WSPA that the bust was related to the “growing drug trade’ in the area:

A hostage situation unfolded as SLED agents rushed to the scene.

In the end–more than half a dozen people were taken into custody–in what agents say is part of a growing drug trade in the Upstate.

This all unfolded on Sulfar Springs drive in Berea this afternoon.

News Channel 7 was the only news crew at the scene.

Agents handcuffed 7 people, taking them into custody.

The director of SLED tells us they got word this morning that three people were being held hostage inside the home.

SLED isn’t able to say how they were alerted to the hostage situation.

When swat team members and agents got there–a standoff ensued until the suspects inside surrendered.

Agents are still trying to determine who is who amongst those in the house. And they can’t yet give identities or where the suspects are from.

Significantly, while weapons were found at the house no drugs have been reported. Human smugglers are often also involved in drug smuggling so these thugs may have gotten on to LE radar during drug investigations. It is a common practice for “coyotes” to hold people who contracted with them to hostage for extra cash. It is especially likely when the illegals are young women, who the smuggling gangs force into prostitution.

WSPA has raw video of the arrests.The house was on Sulfar Spring Drive in Berea.

Word on the street is that a bad apple looking for drugs or hookers turned Good Samaritan when he or she saw what was going on.

Also a rumor Dr. Know sent me is that MS-13 has been smuggling illegals into South Carolina for years and have moved into Greenville County. I found a 2006 story from WIS10 which details Richland county’s problems with the gang and they are very active in North Carolina.

But again these are  just rumors for now. We’ll keep digging.

Now police have arrested 43-year-old Todd Michael Taylor for the assault. From GreenvilleOnline:

Authorities have charged a Lyman man in a February incident where investigators say a Wade Hampton High School student escaped an attempted kidnapping and sexual assault after accepting a ride home from a man.

Todd Michael Taylor, 43, 55 Granny Mack Ridge, Lyman, has been charged with kidnapping, assault and attempting to commit a lewd act on a minor, according to warrants.

WSPA has a follow up with the victim and her family. She met the man once at a restaurant and “trusted him” when she met him again, proving that parents and schools need to teach young people not to trust middle age men who want to befriend them. Taylor is being held on $160,000 bond, which is small change for a man who tried to rape a child.

Update: Here’s the victim in her own words:

Deputies said that the victim said she was walking along Biblebrook Drive toward Sunnyglen Drive when a silver or gray, older-model car pulled up next to her. She said the two men inside the car asked her for directions.

The woman told deputies that when she walked up to the car the men pulled her inside the car. She said that the men drove to a dirt road off of Biblebrook Drive, raped her and then drove back to Biblebrook Drive where they put her out of the car.

The woman walked home and called 911.

The alleged assailants were driving a gray or silver older model, four-door Honda, according to the victim. According to Greenville News staff writer Anna Lee:

The woman told investigators that the men were between 25 and 35 years old. One was wearing a gray sweatshirt and the other a long-sleeved yellow shirt. Both wore black tobaggons.

“Tobaggons”? Since I couldn’t find that word in any mainstream or pop culture dictionary, let’s go with Fox Carolina’s report that the men wore “black stocking caps.” But tuck that away for future reference: “tobaggons” is Greenville News-speak for stocking caps.

Please call Spartanburg Crime Stoppers at 58-CRIME if you have any information about this attack.

The story of an attempted kidnapping that reportedly took place in Taylors Monday morning continues to evolve.  It is now being reported that after accepting a ride from a man named Todd, the 15-year-old victim was driven to another location and assaulted.  The girl apparently met “Todd” at a local restaurant last week.

Since the victim was allegedly held against her will for an undetermined period of time, this crime should now be looked at as a kidnapping and assault rather than an attempted kidnapping.

Deputies have released a sketch of the suspect (see above).  He is described as a Hispanic male, 20-30 years of age, with a medium build and a thin mustache.

From WSPA:

GREENVILLE – The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday a kidnapping they started investigating Tuesday, concerning a 15-year old girl in Taylors didn’t actually occur, as it was orginially [sic] reported by the victim.

Investigators are now saying the incident does not appear to be a random “stranger on stranger” incident. They say the exact nature of this reported assault is still under investigation.

[...]

Wednesday, the GCSO still said they were seeking a 20-30 year old Hispanic male, with a medium build and a thin mustache.

Investigators said he was driving an older moldel [sic] “boxy” sedan, (possibly a Volvo) in connection with this incident.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 23-CRIME.

What’s with the false reporting these days? The girl had enough injuries that police are still thinking something happened, they just don’t know what yet. Let’s hope this is resolved quickly and the girl is ok.

Update: GreenvilleOnline.com is reporting the girl has told police she recognized the man:

Deputy Matthew Armstrong said the girl has told deputies that she recognized the man who grabbed her wrist on East Belvue Road on Monday morning. They don’t have a suspect name, and no charges have been filed, he said.

The “exact nature” of the reported assault remains under investigation, Armstrong said.

The teen told deputies that she escaped by pulling away from the driver and running, a deputy said in an incident report. Deputies are continuing to look for an older “boxy” red car, which they believe could be a Volvo, Armstrong said.

Strange.

The 15-year-old victim told deputies a man tried to force her into his vehicle while she was walking on East Belvue Road near Weehawken Circle Monday at about 9:30 a.m.  The teen normally catches a bus from Wade Hampton High School to another facility, but said she was walking home because she felt ill.

The victim says the suspect drove alongside her in a red Volvo, opened the door and tried to pull her into the vehicle according to the incident report.

She tells GCSO she was able to break free and run home to call for help. Lt. Shea Smith says the teenager suffered minor injuries. The incident report says she suffered a scratch on her right cheek, bruising to her left arm and scratches on her upper chest she says she received while trying to break free of the man who grabbed her.

The suspect left in his car and drove in the direction of Rutherford Road.

A forensic sketch of the suspect is not available at this time.  Investigators say he is described as “a Hispanic man with a thin mustache. He was wearing a black baseball hat, white t-shirt and blue jeans at the time of the attack.”  The vehicle was an older model red, 4-door Volvo.

As always, please call Crime Stoppers at 23-CRIME if you have any information.

The Relax Inn is what people in NYC would call a “hot sheet” motel. It’s cheap, off the beaten path, and amenable to seedier elements using their services. Such places become havens for drug users and prostitutes as well as the unfortunate people who, through a variety of circumstances, end up in need of a motel room but without the funds go stay at a nicer place. They are dangerous places to be as this story proves:

Greenville police were called to the Relax Inn motel on Duvall Drive on Wednesday morning. Officers were flagged down by a woman who was wearing no clothes. The woman told police she was tied up by two men and forced to perform sexual acts at knifepoint. Lawrence Gause and Charles Guillebeaux were both arrested and charged with kidnapping, criminal sexual conduct and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

The 38-year-old victim told police she was raped and beaten by the pair in what I deduce was either a drug or booze fueled attack by two degenerates. Guillibaux is 50 and his accomplice is 40 which indicates to me that they are likely longtime criminals and the savagery of the attack (and later ease with which the victim escaped the men) leads me to conclude they were drunk or high.

Ironically, I have found documents online  from 2001 where Greenville officials express glee at being able to knock down some other Relax Inn motel which was known for attracting a criminal element. I guess this is some sort of seedy motel chain?

Shell out the extra money and stay at the Drury if you need a motel. They’ve got rooms starting at $60.00 while reviews I have seen put The Relax Inn at around $45 a night. Saving $20 or $30 is not worth the risk.

Investigators have been talking to people that knew Epps over the past few days, urging them to get Epps to turn himself in. Epps is charged with kidnapping and grand larceny. He is currently being questioned by investigators at the Greenville Law Enforcement Center.

Video surveillance and witness accounts led investigators to take out warrants for Epps on Tuesday.  The crime occurred in the early hours of Monday morning when a woman left her granddaughter in her running truck while she went to get coffee at the Spinx station at 1520 S. Pleasantburg Drive. The child was returned to her family unharmed.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday morning when the baby’s grandmother stopped her truck to get coffee at the Spinx station at 1520 S. Pleasantburg Drive.  While she was in the store, the running truck was stolen with the baby inside.

The child was recovered unharmed, but deputies are still searching for Epps, who they identified based on surveillance footage and witness statements.  He faces kidnapping and grand larceny charges, according to warrants.  Please call Crime Stoppers at 23-CRIME if you have any information.