Police

HORRY COUNTY

Sitter accused of sexual assaults on girls

An Horry County teen was charged Friday with sexually assaulting two girls while he was babysitting them in Myrtle Beach, according to authorities.

Deterris Marquiz-Nequa Bellamy, 17, of Loris was charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct and first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor and booked into J. Reuben Long Detention Center at 8:50 a.m. Friday, according to jail records.

The charges stemmed from Aug. 10 when a 30-year-old woman told Horry County police that Bellamy was babysitter for her children, ages 6 and 5, in July and the girls said he had inappropriately touched them, according to the report.

The woman said she knew Bellamy through a former friend.

The children said they were afraid to report the incidents and they told Bellamy not to touch them, according to the report.

MYRTLE BEACH

Man damages hospital property

A New York man will be charged with damaging hospital property after police said he was upset over being discharged without a proper diagnosis, according to a police report.

Police issued an arrest warrant for James McGuire, 41, of Farmingville, N.Y., for damage to property after officers were called at 6:30 p.m. Thursday to Grand Strand Regional Medical Center at 809 82nd Parkway, police said.

Officers learned that McGuire was being discharged and he was upset about not being properly diagnosed, so he hit an emergency exit sign and the cover to the emergency oxygen shut off valve, according to the report.

A hospital worker told police that McGuire threatened to harm himself if they did not treat him.

Workers took McGuire back to the emergency room and readmitted him to the hospital, according to the report.

Maintenance workers repaired the damage and police got an arrest warrant from the clerk of court.

Hospital staff and security were told to notify police before McGuire is discharged.

MYRTLE BEACH

Dog found in hot car, woman cited

Myrtle Beach police cited a 48-year-old woman after officers found she had left her small dog inside a vehicle parked outside a department store, according to a police report.

Leticia Pendergrass, 48, of Myrtle Beach was issued a citation for mistreatment of the dog after officers were called at 6:30 p.m. Thursday to Sam’s Club at 1946 Mr. Joe White Ave., police said. Officers allowed Pendergrass to keep the dog.

Someone called police after seeing the small white dog locked inside a vehicle in the parking lot, according to the report.

Officers found the windows of the vehicle were down about three to four inches and the dog was panting heavily.

Officers did not see any water inside the vehicle for the dog and noted the temperature outside was 84 degrees with the heat index made it feel like 90 degrees, according to the report. Officers had the owner of the vehicle paged inside the store.

After 45 minutes the officers were preparing to break into the vehicle to get the dog out, but Pendergrass came to the vehicle, according to the report.

Officers noted that Pendergrass “did not seem concerned or remorseful for the situation” after they spoke to her about leaving the dog in the vehicle while she shopped.

Local

GRAND STRAND

S.C.’s grads break scholarship record

The Class of 2012 was the first group to earn more than $1 billion in college scholarships since the state began tracking the information, according to a news release from the S.C. Department of Education.

The scholarship total for Horry County Schools was $48,568,522 and $10,294,991 for the Georgetown County School District.

This year’s senior class scholarship total was $1,063,112,048.

The scholarship totals came from an annual survey of S.C. school districts, as well as district-sponsored public charter schools, the Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics, the Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, and the S.C. School for the Deaf and the Blind. Hampton County School District 2 did not participate in the college scholarship survey.

The numbers represent two-year scholarship values for technical colleges and two-year schools, and four-year totals for four-year colleges and universities.

The previous five years’ scholarship totals were $684 million (2007), $767 million (2008), $869 million (2009), $917 million (2010) and $966 million (2011).

Since 2007, S.C. students have earned $5.226 billion in college scholarships.

LORIS

Loris hospital ball raises $92,000

The fourth annual Loris Seacoast Healthcare Foundation Ball raised more than $92,00 to benefit the residents of Loris Extended Care Center, according to information from the McLeod Loris Seacoast.

Nearly 350 guests attended the event earlier this year, which had a theme of “A Night in Paris.”

The proceeds will be used to buy new furniture and equipment for the residents, said Kelly Graham, executive director of the Foundation.

From staff reports