Halloween attack on woman at apartments near Coastal Carolina University nets man 30 years
A Loris man will spend 30 years in prison for criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping that occurred on Halloween in 2021.
Jareal Warren, 19, pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping, armed robbery and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, according to a statement from the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
Warren received the maximum sentence allowed for the crime and will not be eligible for parole.
The victim told police she was sitting in her car in a parking lot when two men approached and opened her car door, according to the statement. Warren sexually assaulted her at gunpoint and stole her vehicle and personal items during the incident.
The incident occurred at The Cove apartments, which are located along Highway 544, about a half mile from Coastal Carolina University’s main campus. The apartments are owned and operated by a private company and was not part of the Coastal Carolina University’s student housing inventory at the time of the incident, according to Jerry Rashid, a university spokesman.
The university has entered into a five-year lease agreement at The Cove, scheduled to begin July 1, Rashid said by email. The Cove identifies on its website as a place for student living.
It is not clear whether the victim was a student at CCU.
The victim, who was not identified, gave an impact statement at Warren’s sentencing that greatly influenced the outcome of the case and helped protect the community from a violent offender, the Solicitor’s Office said in the statement.
Another man, Mije Basnight, 18, of Conway, also faces similar charges in the incident and his charges are pending.
The Solicitor’s Office credited Conway Police Department, as well as Coastal Carolina University officers, North Myrtle Beach Police and the U.S. Marshal Service in the case.
This story was originally published May 17, 2023 at 12:08 PM.
