Precaution can prevent car break-ins
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
It’s probably happened to everyone at some point, being so distracted or harried that we forget to lock our car doors. But that moment of distraction can be costly if your vulnerable vehicle is spotted by thieves.
Five such offenders were recently apprehended by the Darlington Police Department and SC Highway Patrol after they were spotted breaking into vehicles on Barfield Drive. On July 11, a witness phoned 911 and reported the incident, and responding officers arrested Kendrick Tafari Edwards (17), Corneliuis Marcus Brown (19), Kevonte Jamarius Felder (17), Dominique Markel Robinson (17), and Quinterris Jovon Carmichael (17).
Among the items recovered were a .32 caliber handgun, a laptop computer, an iPad, and 12-gauge shotgun shells.
Sgt. Kim Nelson of the Darlington Police Department says these suspects had been convicted of similar crimes before in Florence and were on probation. Nelson says that quick response by witnesses and neighbors gave officers a chance to apprehend suspects before they left the area.
DPD Chief Danny Watson adds that while it’s tempting to confront someone you discover breaking into your vehicle, that person could be armed or prone to violence, and it’s better to be safe than sorry.
“The thing to do is call (police) as fast as you can,” says Watson. “Get a description of what kind of car they’re driving, what they look like, what they are carrying, what direction they went – all of that is very important to us being able to resolve the issue.”
To reduce your chances of becoming a vehicle break-in victim, always lock your doors, roll up your windows, and secure any valuable items – even small things out of plain sight.
