Police

HORRY COUNTY

Bomb squad detonates suspicious item

Members of the Horry County police bomb squad safely detonated a suspicious item found in a farmer’s cornfield, and labeled it a hoax, according to Horry County police spokesman Sgt. Robert Kegler.

The farmer’s discovery of the item, which police would not describe in detail, around 1:30 p.m. prompted authorities to close Forestbrook Road between McCormick Road and Brookgate Drive for about five hours, Kegler said.

“It appears to be a hoax device,” Kegler said. “There were some things in there to make it look like it was a device.”

The farmer carried the item to the road before calling police, he said. “The area was secured by Horry County police, the bomb squad responded and detonated the item, and determined it safe.”

The investigation into who placed the device in the field and why is continuing.

MYRTLE BEACH

BMW driver skips out on Waffle House bill

It was probably not the most urgent investigation on the Myrtle Beach Police Department to-do list, but authorities did respond to a “false pretense/swindle” report at the Waffle House at 2811 S Kings Hwy. before sunrise on Saturday.

Restaurant workers reported that a man driving a 2002 black BMW 745i left the restaurant about 4:44 a.m. without paying his $7.47 bill, according to the police report.

Workers gave police the license number, which the report said was registered to an owner in Surfside Beach.

Local

Horry County

Burial planned for unclaimed body of veteran

Former U.S. Army Sgt. John Reiser will finally be laid to rest on Tuesday.

Reiser died Oct. 26, 2009. He was cremated and his remains have been stored unclaimed at the Horry County Coroner’s office, according to a news release from American Legion Riders Chapter 178 in Murrells Inlet.

Reiser was in the Army from 1969 to 1981. Additional information about his life or his death was not available Sunday.

The burial was made possible in part by a recently passed law that allows for the unclaimed remains of veterans to be turned over to the Veterans Administration or veterans organizations for burial, according to the release. The state law relieves the liability of the holder of the remains such as a funeral parlor or coroner’s office.

Reiser’s remains will be escorted to Florence National Cemetery by the American Legion Riders and other motorcycle groups for the military funeral ceremony at approximately 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Florence National Cemetery.

From staff reports