Police
HORRY COUNTY
Two arrested on drug charges
Horry County police arrested two more suspects identified in an undercover drug operation in the Racepath community of Myrtle Beach.
A three month investigation uncovered heightened drug activity and 15 people were arrested August 9. Friday, two more men were arrested.
Sharawn J. Chestnut, 35, of Myrtle Beach is charged with two counts of distribution of crack cocaine. He is being held at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center.
Samuel Lavern Keith, 42, of Myrtle Beach is charged with distribution of crack cocaine and also is being held at J. Reuben Long Detention Center.
HORRY COUNTY
Traffic checkpoints planned
Authorities in Horry County plan to hold various traffic safety checkpoints and increase saturation patrols throughout the county this weekend to curb drinking and driving crashes, according to a news release from Horry County Community Action for a Safer Tomorrow.
The increased police efforts are to address DUI crashes and underage drinking, according to the release.
MYRTLE BEACH
Man robbed after leaving pizza shop
Myrtle Beach police are investigating a man being hit from behind and robbed as he walked in the parking lot of a pizza business on Kings Highway, according to a police report.
The 26-year-old man told officers he stopped at Pizza Ala Roma, which is located at 412 N. Kings Highway, at 11:10 p.m. Thursday to get something to drink, police said.
The victim said he only had $100 bills and an employee at the business told him they couldn’t give him change, so the man said heleft the restaurant and was walking to his vehicle when he struck from behind, according to the report. The victim said he fell to the ground, a man took the money out of his hand and ran away.
The victim did not have any cuts and EMS was not requested.
A woman, who was waiting in the car for the victim, told police she saw two men walk up behind the victim, hit him in the head and take his money, according to the report. The woman said the suspect used a bat or stick to hit the victim.
Police found one of the suspects in the 400 block of Fifth Avenue North and the woman identified him as being involved, according to the report. That man has not been formally charged.
The Sun News does not identify suspects until arrest warrants are issued.
Detectives are investigating the incident and searching for the second suspect involved.
HORRY COUNTY
Suspect turns self in, one still wanted
One suspect in the Loris area double homicide has turned himself in to police Friday night.
Nehemiah James Evans, 28, of Nichols is charged with two counts of murder and one count of first degree burglary.
Odom Bryan Bryant, 22, of Tabor City, N.C. is still wanted on the same charges.
Police were called to Red Bluff Road near the Loris town limits about 4:30 a.m. Sunday where Amos Hatfield, 66, and his son Thomas Howard Hatfield, 40, were found dead from gunshot wounds in what appeared to be a home invasion, said Sgt. Robert Kegler with Horry County police.
Police arrested Amos Hatfield’s wife, Sandy Lee Locklear, and further investigation indicated she conspired with Evans and Bryant to rob and kill her husband and his son, Kegler said. Locklear is charged with two counts of murder and first degree burglary. The relationship between Locklear and the two suspects, other than the alleged conspiracy, is not clear. Kegler said he is not aware if they are relatives or friends.
From staff reports
