Blue Light Special | Ocean Boulevard fires and hanging out with Randy

Man and boy-child companion heat things up

Two separate fires that ignited early Thursday morning were intentionally set, according to police, who have now charged two men in connection with arson; a grown man and his young boy sidekick, which is not weird at all and completely normal.

Michael Blake, 20, is charged with two counts of third-degree arson and two counts of third-degree burglary after allegedly starting fires at the Emerald Shores Motel then later the same morning at the Carousel Motel, police said.

Terry Allen Myrick, 63, is charged with one count of third-degree arson in connection with the fire at the Carousel Motel, and one count of being a creepy weirdo who hangs out with guys who were born in 1995, an arrest warrant shows.

The duo was taken into custody Thursday afternoon after city cameras were used to help identity the suspects, police said.

Myrtle Beach police and fire firefighters were called about 3:20 a.m. Thursday to battle a blaze at the Emerald Shores Motel at 404 N. Ocean Blvd., which is a vacant property.

If that wasn’t enough, hours later Myrtle Beach police and firefighters were called at 6:20 a.m. to a structure fire at the Carousel Motel at 1402 S. Ocean Blvd., which is also vacant, authorities said.

Investigations revealed these fires were similar in nature and “intentionally set,” according to an affidavit, and police learned that the fire at the Carousel Motel was set in the establishment’s office living quarters.

It is reported that just before he set the fire, Myrick looked into the camera (yes there’s a camera) and said, “Let’s turn the heat up...” and then walked away from the hotel in slow motion as the hotel burst into flames behind him and he didn’t look back.

That probably didn’t happen, but that’s how I imagine it totally happened. Then he got into his creepy windowless predator van and headed down to the local arcade or shopping mall to hand out free candy.

City cameras show Blake and Myrick walking south on Ocean Boulevard until they reached one of the incident locations, police said.

One suspect waited across the street while another gained entry inside one the motels. The suspect then flees the hotel and a short time later a fire breaks out, authorities said.

Why is this a thing? Never understood arsonists, it’s just stupid, but if hanging with young boys and burning things is your thing, more power to you, man.

Damage was done to the vacant buildings from the fires, but Myrtle Beach firefighters got each fire under control quickly, and no injuries were reported in connection to the incidents.

Part of Ocean Boulevard was closed Thursday morning from about 17th Avenue South to 12th Avenue South while crews worked at the scene at the Carousel Motel.

Would-be robber lets crime community down

Horry County police are searching for one suspect after a convenience store clerk reported an armed robbery.

Officers responded to the Phoenix Mart at 1708 Highway 17 in Little River around 10:20 p.m. Nov. 3, according to Lt. Raul Denis with Horry County police. An employee called police after a male demanded money from the clerk “in a low tone of voice,” the police report said.

So essentially what happened is Dr. Claw from “Inspector Gadget” robbed a convenient store.

[To the attorneys of Dr. Claw: This is merely a presumption and not an official accusation of guilt]

At first the employee “did not believe the man” and asked the suspect to repeat himself, so the suspect very reasonably repeated that he wanted all the money in the safe. Fair enough. The clerk told the suspect he could not get into the store’s safe, the report said.

And THEN...shit got real.

The suspect then grabbed an unopened box cutter and told the employee to open the safe, the report said. The clerk then repeated, “DID YOU HEAR WHAT THE F*CK I SAID?” [paraphrasing], and the suspect put the box cutter down, defeated, and left the store empty handed, police said.

When police arrived there were several customers in the store and the business was open, police said. When officers asked why the clerk didn’t close after the robbery attempt, he said he “did not think the suspect was really trying to rob the place, based upon how he acted,” the report said. What with waving a deadly weapon around and demanding money.

The suspect is described as a black male, 25 to 30 years old, 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing about 150 or 160 pounds and wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and black basketball shorts. He probably looks really sad because his robbery didn’t go as planned and now all of his bank robber friends are making fun of him and calling him useless and “a model citizen.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 843-915-8477.

Done Deal...and Randy

Horry County police have charged a second person in connection to a 30-minute car chase Wednesday.

Randy M. Davis, 25, of Conway was charged with driving under suspension, reckless driving, malicious injury to personal property, failure to stop for blue lights, violating the seat belt law and resisting arrest Thursday, according to jail records.

Typical Randy. BRAD got into Dental school. Kimberly has a 3.8 GPA at Vasser. And then, there’s Randy. Thanksgiving’s gonna be awkward this year, Davis family.

Dakota Deal, 24, of Conway was charged with forgery and violation of the seat belt law on Wednesday, according to jail records.

That’s what she gets for hanging out with Randy.

Horry County police say they were called to a home on Willard Road in Conway where Deal – a fugitive – was suspected to be around noon.

“Officers arrived as the fugitive left in a black sport utility vehicle,” said Lt. Raul Denis, spokesman for Horry County police.

Officers quickly caught up with Deal, but the driver of the SUV, identified only as a 25-year-old Conway man, refused to pull over and led officers on a more than 30-minute chase, Denis said. “Officers were able to use tire-deflation devices to flatten the car’s tires, which is hands-down the coolest thing ever. After that, the DEAL...was done.

*Roll credits*

This story was originally published November 19, 2015 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Blue Light Special | Ocean Boulevard fires and hanging out with Randy."