South Carolina

COLUMBIA

Man sentenced in animal shelter break-ins

A Columbia man pleaded guilty this week after a series of break-ins at the Columbia animal shelter this winter in which only pit bulls were taken.

Judge Roger Couch sentenced Dezmon Jones, 17 at the time of the break-ins, to six years in prison on two counts of burglary second degree and several other charges, according to a news release from the Fifth Circuit solicitor’s office.

More than 21 pitbulls were stolen between Jan. 29 and Feb 12, the news release said.

Jones turned himself in after police arrested two other teenagers during a stake-out at the shelter.

The dogs were recovered. Shelter superintendent Marli Drum said Friday some were placed in homes. Others were aggressive and had to be destroyed.

SUMTER

Agencies probe teen’s death

Law enforcement agencies have formed a task force dedicated to solving the killing of Aaron Abraham, a Sumter teenager whose body was found Aug. 22 after he disappeared a month earlier.

They’re hoping the public can play a role in bringing Abraham’s killer to justice.

The Sumter Police Department, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, the State Law Enforcement Division, the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office and the Camden Police Department are working together to apprehend whomever is responsible for his death.

Funeral services were held Friday for the 18-year-old who would have been a senior at Sumter High School this year. School officials, friends and family as easy-going and artistic, not someone to be involved with any kind of trouble.

RICHLAND COUNTY

Two men charged with robbing bank

Two men face charges in connection with an armed robbery at a Columbia area bank, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department announced Friday.

Jason Colon, 26, is charged with armed robbery and four counts of kidnapping, and Arthur Macon, 27, has been charged with armed robbery and driving under suspension in connection with Thursday’s robbery of a TD Bank branch, 8850 Farrow Road, a news release said.

Deputies accuse Colon of pointing a handgun at a teller and demanding money, then heading to the back of the bank to a waiting black Dodge with Macon behind the wheel.

• At 10:45 a.m. Aug. 24, the department’s narcotics unit arrested Howard Anderson, 36, in the 7000 block of Two Notch Road, charging him with trafficking marijuana and driving under suspension.

• At 2:40 p.m. Aug. 24, the department’s narcotics unit arrested three men: Montae Barrett, 29, and Brandon Issac, 22, both charged with trafficking crack cocaine and possession of a firearm during a violent crime; and Kraige Sweat, 21, charged with trafficking MDMA (ecstasy), simple possession, and possession of a firearm.

Fort Mill Township

Child unscathed in wild ride

A child escaped injury after a car he was apparently left alone in rolled across normally busy Hwy. 160 West Thursday and smashed into a fence.

According to witnesses, the car was parked across the road at the Crossroads Plaza shopping center near the corner of Hwy. 160 West and Gold Hill Road when the car somehow was put into gear and rolled off the inclined parking lot at about 6 p.m. It came to rest with the rear end partially through at fence at Palmetto Place Apartments.

The identity of the adult driving the car and his relationship to the child were not revealed

Rock Hill

Three brothers facing drug charges

Police arrested three brothers on drug charges after York County’s Multijurisdictional Drug Unit found methamphetamine and marijuana in their home, according to Lt. Mike Ligon.

Tony Allen Bouler, 32, Thomas Dean Bouler, 30, and their half-brother, Jayson Lee Davis, 35, live in Rock Hill homes that Ligon says were using the “one pot method” to produce methamphetamine.

During a undercover investigation, Ligon said, one of the brothers sold meth to a police officer.

Rock Hill

40,000 pounds of potatoes given away

The Love and Cherish Family Center gave out 40,000 pounds of sweet potatoes Friday at the Foundation AME Zion Church in Rock Hill.

“We put this together to feed the hungry and feed people in the neighborhood,” said Dequetta Patton with the family center.

The group works with area farmers who have excess fruits and vegetables at the end of the season.

“We just get it out here, get the word out and give it away,” Patton said.

North Carolina

Greenville

VP candidate Ryan set to visit

Republican vice presidential contender Paul Ryan is expected to campaign in North Carolina during next week’s Democratic National Convention.

Ryan was expected to campaign in the Greenville area on Monday.

His staff would not immediately confirm details for The Associated Press, but Republican officials familiar with Ryan’s plans did confirm them.

The Wisconsin congressman left Tampa, Fla., on Friday after spending much of the week at his party’s national convention there.

Raleigh

Duke Energy CEO talks merger

Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers is telling North Carolina regulators the merger with Progress Energy is progressing well two months after the deal creating the country’s largest electric company was done.

Rogers said Friday in a letter to the state Utilities Commission that more than 1,100 workers chose to take voluntary buyouts and the jobs for the top three layers of managers are about two-thirds filled by people from the old Duke Energy.

From wire reports