Police

MYRTLE BEACH

Pair, 76 and 64, face public sex charges

Myrtle Beach police charged a 76-year-old man and 64-year-old woman with exposure of private parts after officers found them in a park engaged in a sexual act, according to arrest reports.

James Colie Harsey, 76, of Myrtle Beach, and Audra Elizabeth Rodriguez, 64, who was listed as homeless, were each charged with exposure of private parts in a lewd and lascivious manner after an officer found them in Balsam Park about 3 p.m. Wednesday, police said.

The couple also had several bottles of vodka in their possession and appeared to be intoxicated, according to the arrest reports.

MYRTLE BEACH

Woman stops man from snatching purse

A 34-year-old woman told Myrtle Beach police a man tried to steal her purse as she walked near Fifth Avenue North and Ocean Boulevard, according to a police report.

The victim told officers she and a friend were walking about 1:30 a.m. Thursday when the man came up and grabbed her purse, police said. The victim struggled with the man and held onto her purse.

The man let go and ran to a nearby vehicle, according to the report.

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH

Area man to face weapon, assault charges

A North Myrtle Beach man has been indicted by an Horry County grand jury on charges he choked and pointed a shotgun at a woman during a domestic dispute in May, according to court records.

Bryan Keith Rutter, 35, was indicted on charges of pointing and presenting a firearm, criminal domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature, kidnapping and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, according to the indictments released Wednesday.

Rutter was jailed May 8 after the incident and remains at J. Reuben Long Detention Center on $50,000 bond, according to jail records.

The charges stemmed from a 27-year-old woman telling North Myrtle Beach police that she was choked and had a shotgun pointed at her during a dispute with Rutter.

GEORGETOWN COUNTY

Man turns himself in on lewd act charge

A man accused of committing a lewd act on a minor turned himself in to deputies in Georgetown County Thursday.

Ronald Gene Blankenship, Jr. was arrested just before 3 p.m. Thursday. He’s charged with committing a lewd act on a minor under age 16.

According to the sheriff’s office, the mother of a 3-year-old contacted Andrews police when her child was behaving inappropriately and saying she had touched Blankenship in his genital area. The case was turned over to deputies in Georgetown County when Andrews police learned the location was outside their jurisdiction.

Local

CONWAY

Winning Powerball ticket sold in Conway

Someone in the Conway area is $1 million richer after S.C. Education Lottery officials reported a winning Powerball ticket was sold at a store there.

The ticket was sold in Conway at the Tiger Mart No. 19, which is located at 1812 Wright Blvd., and it matched all five white ball numbers drawn Wednesday night, according to lottery officials. The odds of winning $1 million are 1 in 5,153,633.

The numbers drawn Wednesday were 3, 16, 48, 56, 58 and the Powerball was 4.

More than 12,000 players in South Carolina hold tickets for prizes from $4 up to $1 million, according to lottery officials. Players have 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim their prizes.

From staff reports